KOONAMMAVU VILLAGE: WHERE MORE THAN 500 WOMEN MAKE ROSARIES
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| Rosary making at Koonammavu village near Cheranellur, Kochi 683518 |
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If
Rome is the land of rosaries, Koonammavu village near Cheranellur,
Kochi, is a mini version of it. Here
more than 500 women are engaged in making rosaries as a cottage industry.
While
there is considerable demand for these spiritual artifacts domestically,
the rosaries made here are exported to Philippines and Nigeria also.
Rosaries
are made with 59 pearls. Using a small plier, the pearls are strung on a thin metallic
string. After stringing, the
rosaries are electroplated to give the final shining appearance.
There is an electroplating unit in Koonammavu itself.
“For
me it takes 10 minutes to string a rosary.
And the work fetches me 80 paise.
I need not work under anybody.
And I decide how much I should earn”, says a rosary worker, Lilly
Devasia of Manalipparambil.
Agents
distribute pearl and string at the home of workers and collect finished
products from them.
There
are many types of rosary: the enchanting Mona Lisa rosary, multicoloured
rainbow rosary, iridescent rosary that is luminescent at night, perfumed
rosary etc are some of them.
While
praying is one instance when rosary is used, its use is now more broad based. Some wear it, some
hang it in the vehicle while some give it as a gift to newly married
couple.
Courtesy: Vanitha, September 1-14, 2000
Contributed by: Administrator
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