Sungudi Saree Weaving, Madurai

Madurai Sungudi is the citys GI-tagged signature textile, a hand tie-dyed cotton saree craft brought to the city by Saurashtrian weavers who migrated from Gujarat under the patronage of King Thirumalai Naicker in the 17th century. Inspired by kolam patterns and celestial constellations, the distinctive circular dot motifs are created by hand-knotting thousands of tiny pinches of fabric before dyeing. Weavers still practise the craft in clusters across the city, and authentic pieces bearing the GI tag can be found at specialist textile shops along South Avani Moola Street and South Masi Street.