Traditional Thalangara Thoppi As A Symbol Of Handcrafted Devotion
Traditional Thalangara Thoppi As A Symbol Of Hand-Crafted Devotion
Kasaragod: The Islamic holy month of Ramadan reawakens interest in traditional Thalangara Thoppi {cap} among the faithful in Malabar. This distinctive pure cotton cap with stiff sides and designs resembling those on Arabic-Persian prayer mats is the relic of a proud past. It even finds a mention in the great Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta’s writings. Formerly, widely exported to the Gulf and Africa, mechanised mass production by the biggest manufacturer Bangladesh followed by China, has seen the craft shrink to a few families. The polyester prayer caps are cheaper than this hand-crafted labour of devotion and love.
