Kumbakonam beyond temples: degree coffee, bronze casting and silk

Kumbakonam is known as the Temple Town, but its name travels for other reasons too. It gives its name to Kumbakonam degree coffee, bronze images are cast at nearby Swamimalai, and silk saris are woven at Thirubuvanam. This guide introduces the crafts and tastes of the town, so you know what to look out for between temple visits.

Kumbakonam degree coffee

Kumbakonam degree coffee is a traditional way of preparing South Indian filter coffee, named after the town. Its speciality is fresh cow's milk, used without any adulterants.

Why "degree"?

Nobody agrees for certain. One explanation, given by the food historian Rakesh Raghunathan, is that "degree" is a measure of the milk's quality: the milk was tested for purity, and only the best was used. Another links the word to the strength of the decoction: "first degree" coffee is made from the first, strongest pass of water through the coffee, while later passes give weaker cups.

How it is made

The coffee beans are roasted and ground, and hot water is passed through them to make a strong decoction. A little decoction goes into the cup first, and hot milk is added on top, usually with sugar. It is traditionally served in a pair of vessels: a tumbler and a davara (a small bowl).

Swamimalai bronze casting

Swamimalai, a temple town near Kumbakonam, is known for its bronze images of gods and goddesses. The craft is said to have reached its height under the Chola kings, between the 9th and 13th centuries, and artisans still follow the classical rules of proportion and form.

The lost-wax method

Swamimalai's artisans cast their bronzes by the ancient lost-wax method (cire perdue). Each image begins as a model in wax, from beeswax and tree resin, which is then covered in layers of clay; the finest, inner layer uses alluvial soil from the bed of the Kaveri river. When the mould is heated, the wax melts and drains away, and molten metal poured into the hollow takes the shape of the deity.

Recognition

Swamimalai Bronze Icons were registered as a Geographical Indication by the Government of India in 2008–09. Hundreds of artisans in Swamimalai work in the craft, and Tamil Nadu Tourism describes the village as a place where visitors can see artisans at work. If you visit a workshop, ask before taking photographs.

Thirubuvanam silk

Thirubuvanam, on the road from Kumbakonam to Mayiladuthurai, is home to a silk-weaving tradition as well as its great Chola temple. Thirubuvanam silk saris are known for their wide borders and pallu (the decorated end of the sari), rich zari (gold thread) work and a high thread count.

Many of the weavers belong to the Thirubuvanam Silk Handloom Weavers Co-operative Production and Sale Society, founded in 1955. On its application, Thirubuvanam silk saris were registered as a Geographical Indication in 2019.

More to notice

Kumbakonam is also known for brass and copper vessels, and for the betel leaf grown in the fields around the town.

Respecting the makers

Bronze casting and weaving are working crafts, and the workshops are people's homes and livelihoods. Ask before you photograph, and if you buy, check that you're buying from the makers or their co-operatives. For more about the town, read About Mahamaham and Kumbakonam.