M.Rm.Rm. Cultural Foundation Manjal Store, Chennai – Best place to buy hand-made, eco-friendly Chettinadu Crafts, Chettinad Palm Leaf / Palmyra Basket – Kottan products, Home Decors & Gifts in Chennai, India

– award-winning panai palmyra / palm leaf boxes handicraft products

CasualWalker’s Rating for M.Rm.Rm. Cultural Foundation Manjal Store, Chennai:
9.5 – Superb Awesome

Manjal Store is a Chettinad craft and tradition unit supported by the International award-winning – M.Rm.Rm. Cultural Foundation in Chennai. Manjal is a vibrant and cheerful shop with a wide selection of hand-made, eco-friendly, colorful patterns of palm leaf products / Palmyra Basket popularly called “Kottan” in Tamil. M.Rm.Rm. Cultural Foundation’s Manjal showcases and reviving the rich finest basket weaving tradition and craft of the Chettinad and Chettiar community.

The Manjal store showcases the stunning art of Chettinad kottan – palm leaf products / Palmyra products such as bags, baskets, and trays that are created using dried palm leaf which is available in plenty in the villages in South India, with an aim to revive the crafts and textiles of the Chettinad region in Tamil Nadu.

M.Rm.Rm. Cultural Foundation trains the local village women to revive this traditional palm-leaf baskets craft in their original colors and patterns near-by Cheddinad villages like Keelayapatti, Sravayal Pudhur, Nachiapuram, Vairavanpatti, Koratti, and Kanadukathan. Sri Visalakshi Ramaswamy Aachi, the founder and director of M.Rm.Rm. Cultural Foundation works towards reviving the palm leaf products / Palmyra Baskets, rural crafts, textiles, and architecture. The M.Rm.Rm Cultural Foundation’s motto is Research / Document / Revive, the traditional craft preservation of artisan and crafts community.

Manjal store sells beautiful and vibrant colorful collections of all types of Chettinad kottan – palm leaf boxes in all shapes like baskets, coin/money purses, pencil cases, Sweet boxes, Fruit basket, coasters,  gift boxes, bags, table mats, iPad and Tablet silk covers, water bottle holders, bangle bag, palm-leaf fan, candy pouches, tissue boxes, trays, water bottle holders, and saree boxes. The pricing of Chettinad kottan – palm leaf product does not depend on the size but based on their wonderful craftsmanship.

Manjal store undertakes special custom orders and bulk orders for festivals and events like Diwali, Wedding, Birthday, Corporate palm leaf-based gift boxes.

Manjal store also displays and sells the world-famous handmade Athangudi tiles, the Kandanghi sari both in cotton and silk, the Chettinad lime-egg plaster, wall stenciling and painting, and plastic tape and knotted wire baskets and totes are available.

About Chettinad kottan – Palm leaf products / Palmyra products:

Kottan is Cheddinad Craft of weaving the leaf of the palm tree, locally known as Panamaram into beautiful and colorful baskets. The leaves are harvested once a year and are stored for production. Palm leaf baskets continue to be made in other locations across Tamil Nadu. For the affluent Chettiar people, the weaving of palmyra (palm leaf) baskets, Kottan, was a leisure time commitment and found pride of place in every Chettiar activity – from ritual and ceremony to everyday use.

M.Rm.Rm. Cultural Foundation has received the UNESCO Seal of Excellence Award for its handicrafts products in South Asia for palm leaf basketry in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, and 2018. They have also received the Geographical Indications (GI) tag for the Chettinad Kottan in 2013.

How to reach M.Rm.Rm. Cultural Foundation Manjal Store, Chennai:

M.Rm.Rm. Cultural Foundation Manjal Store Address:
Manjal, No. 70, MRC Nagar Main Road, MRC Nagar, Raja Annamalai Puram,
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Telephone: +91 44 24622505/ 24614313 / 063746 27663
Contact Email: chettinadculture@gmail.com
Open Timings: Monday to Saturday – 10.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Website: https://www.mrmrmculturalfoundation.com
Buy Online at: https://www.mrmrmculturalfoundation.com/manjalshop
Manjal FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/mrmrmculturalfoundation

Special thanks and Photo courtesy to M.Rm.Rm. Cultural Foundation Manjal Store

Check out and enjoy the photo captures of M.Rm.Rm. Cultural Foundation Manjal Store, Chennai.

You can Buy Online eco-friendly Manjal Chettinadu Crafts, Chettinad Palm Leaf / Panai Palmyra Basket – Kottan products, Home Decors & Gifts online at:
https://www.mrmrmculturalfoundation.com/manjalshop

Books Published by M.Rm.Rm. Cultural Foundation:

Sri Visalakshi Ramaswamy Aachi, the founder and director of Majal has a deep-rooted love for the craft, She also shared her experiences through her publications:

1. The Kottan – The Palmyra Basket of Chettinad, by Visalakshi Ramaswamy.

The book explores the journey of the beautiful Kottan from its role as a hobby craft in the Chettiar community, to its disappearance and revival. It also serves as an important record of the traditional kottan basketry techniques that have languished for decades, till Sri Visalakshi Ramaswamy Aachi through the M.Rm.Rm. Cultural Foundation undertook the task of reviving the craft. The book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in craft, culture, and design, and will be indispensable to craftspeople, academics, and designers. Buy the Book

2. The Chettinad Cookbook by Visalakshi Ramaswamy & Meyyammai Murugappan

The Chettinad Cookbook is a collection of Chettinad culinary, family celebrations, colorful food, and wonderful aromas. This book is a treasure trove of Chettinad Cuisine Recipes with a good presentation. The book is encyclopedic to its depth and content of Chettinad cuisine with Simple step-by-step instructions ensure that even first-time cooks find the recipes easy to follow. Buy the Book

3. The Chettiar Heritage by S. Muthiah, Meenakshi Meyyappan & Visalakshi Ramaswamy

The Chettiar heritage records the past and present of the Chettiars and Chettinad in South India in word and image. It provides as detailed a pictorial record as possible, accompanied by explanatory text, to remind Chettiars of their rich heritage in India and the growing numbers living abroad. Buy the Book

Following are the Best Places & Tourist Attractions in Chettinad or Chettinadu, Sivaganga District – The Land of Nattukotai Chettiars / Nagarathars :

Chettinad Kanadukathan Palace and Attangudi / Athangudi Palace, Karaikudi Visit, Travel Guide

Soundaram’s Chettinad Sweets and Snacks, Karaikudi – Best Place To Buy Chettinad Sweets & Snacks – Visit, Travel Guide (Updated)

Kunnakudi / Kundrakudi Shanmughanathar Murugan Temple, Tirupattur – Best & Famous Murugan Temple In Chettinad, India – Visit, Travel Guide (Updated)

Pillaiyarpatti Pillaiyar Temple / Karpaka Vinayakar Temple, Tiruppathur – Best & Famous Ganesha Temple In Chettinad India – Visit, Travel Guide

Thiruppakkottai Village & Temple Festival Trip at Sivaganga District Visit, Travel Guide

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