Kurnool Woollen Carpet Pit Loom Weaving Andhra Pradesh

Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh is a regional centre of hand-knotted woollen carpet weaving, with artisan communities in Kurnool town and Nandyal producing carpets on pit looms using local Nellore sheep wool and synthetic dyes in geometric and floral patterns. The weaving uses a symmetrical Turkish ghiordes knot on a cotton warp foundation at 40-80 knots per square inch, producing a durable pile carpet of 8-12mm height suited to Indian domestic floor use and medium-segment export. Weavers belong predominantly to the Padmashali and Kosta weaving communities who have practiced carpet weaving alongside cotton saree production for three generations. Kurnool carpets are marketed through the AP State Cooperative Textile Corporation and private exporters at Hyderabad craft exhibitions, with German and UK buyers sourcing traditional-design Kurnool carpets through annual tender auctions. The cluster employs over 3,000 pit-loom weavers in a cottage industry structure where master weavers distribute yarn and design cards to home looms and collect finished pieces for export grading.