Arockiyamary has been coming to the Cluny Art Embroidery Centre for around 40 years. She is the most senior artisan here. Her specialty? She can look at an image and recreate it, in embroidery.
“Including the shading,” adds Sister Augusta of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny, who has been managing the centre for more than 10 years now.
Arockiamary is one of 32 women who come in every morning to work at the Cluny Art Embroidery Centre.
Many of the women come from situations of domestic abuse, and some are widowed and/or separated. Each woman has a story behind her; and they are all tied together by the common thread of the Cluny Centre.
Various designs created by the women artisans of the Cluny Embroidery Centre
The products are varied: embroidered handkerchiefs, napkins, table runners, table cloths, and many more! Sister Augusta shows off sets of napkins with fruits and vegetables as the themes: replete with carrots, broccoli, brinjal, grapes and oranges embroidered on one edge of the napkin.
The magnificent 1774 building where the women work is a delight in itself. The centre is open to visitors, and the products are available for purchase. While the products are mostly picked up by overseas visitors, the centre also receives many local customized orders.
Don’t miss the Cluny Embroidery Centre on your next trip to Pondicherry!