Handloom weaver Chintakindi Mallesham, who was given the Padma Shri award in 2017, is on the cusp of achieving another dream.
For seven years, he struggled to make a machine that later became a boon to handloom weavers and 50-year-old Mallesham from Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district is now striving to come up with more inventions that will make life less difficult for handloom weavers and keep the art and profession alive.
A workshed has already been put up on a piece of land in Alair town and the required machinery will also be in place soon. “I have ideas. The machinery will help me give physical shape to the ideas. Before the maggam is operated to produce handwoven cloth, there are many
other steps. My idea is to come up with machines to ease the work. Only the handloom weaving on the maggam will continue the way it is following the traditional method,” Mallesham told TOI.
What brought him national fame was the ‘Laxmi Asu’ machine that he invented. When he saw hismother, a handloom weaver, struggling, he observed and understood all the work that goes into it. Observing some machines in Balanagar in the city, he hit upon an idea which became feasible.
The ‘Asu machine’ greatly reduced the physical burden of the weaver and so far, 1,800 families have already bou g ht it. “With the Padma Shri award came responsibility. I could not sit back on my laurels. I got attention, honour and respect but I have followed my passion more strongly,” he said.
Mallesham got the backing of minister KT Rama Rao who wanted him to come up with more equipment that would help the handloom industry. The handloom department earmarked Rs 1 crore for him. A workshedhas been put up with Rs 50 lakh and another Rs 50 lakh is for the machinery.
The class VI dropout was moved to tears when his biopic was made for the silver screen, written and directed by Raj Rachakonda in 2019.
“I am a simple person. A common man. But a film was made on my life. It showed my struggles to come up with the Asu machine. Handloom weavers who had already got the machine and were using it were happy using the machine but when they saw my struggle portrayed on the silver screen, they were also moved to tears,” he said. “My new ideas for different types of equipment will take shape soon. Accuracy is most important and this is what the equipment will have , ” Mallesham said.
.png?w=600)
