Kodiyala Cotton

Kodiyala, a village in Srirangapatna taluk, has set a mark in Karnataka’s history as belonging to one of the major weavers for the royal family of Mysore. Some of the major patrons of Kodiyala weaving were Tipu Sultan, the Wadiyar dynasty (the erstwhile rulers of Mysore) and Indira Gandhi.

Kodiyala is home to hundreds of Padmashalis, who belong to a Telugu-speaking weavers’ community originally from Andhra Pradesh. Traditional weaving was done mainly on handlooms and was their primary source of income.

Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Srirangapatna and Mysore, was said to be immensely fond of cotton cloth woven and produced by the Kodiyala weavers. Thus began a long proud relationship between the community and Mysore royalty.

Industrialization of India post-independence brought power looms to the village. At present, Kodiyala mostly uses power looms, which has led to a gradual yet significant decline in the tradition of handloom weaving.