Cluny Embroidery Centre Puducherry (Timings, Entry Fee, History, Location, Images & Facts)

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Cluny Embroidery Center, located on the Rue Romain Rolland Street in the 18th century historic home, is a remarkable initiative founded by a local convent to give work opportunities to impoverished women in the community. The facility, which was allegedly offered by a French lady to assist underprivileged ladies in need, is today under the administration of Catholic nuns.

Cluny Embroidery Center serves as a support Center for a large number of poor and vulnerable women. It tells the tale of humanity's struggle for existence and hope. The Center, which has been in operation since 1829, has been producing magnificent needlework items in the form of laces, crochets, and other handmade items. You can see ladies working with needles and thimbles as regional music plays in the background. These women are thoroughly trained in embroidery.

Even while the Center accepts commercial orders from major brands, it also has its own in-house manufacturing facility that produces sophisticated, beautifully embroidered tablecloths, kerchiefs, cushion covers, bedspreads, bath sets, and pillowcases, among other things.

You may find the items to be a little on the pricey side, but the high quality of the work makes the purchase justified. In addition to this, you can explore the beauty of the centuries-old structure. It has rustic beauty with towering ceilings, beautiful arched doorways, and a white-pillared portico at its entrance. The walls are covered with climbers, and the general beauty of the location has enticed thousands of visitors to visit it. A guest house is also available at the Center, charging around INR 3000 per night for a twin room.

Architecture of Cluny Embroidery Center

The Center is set in a 17th-century mansion with exquisite colonial architecture. Before being handed over to the church, the Center was known as Hotel Lagrenee de Mezeires. It has 12 feet tall arched doors and walls embellished with floral designs, each connoting a unique concept. A huge white portico overlooks the splendid gardens surrounding the center.

History of The Cluny Embroidery Center

The Cluny Embroidery Center is set in a heritage home that dates back to the 18th century. It was built in 1774 by M. Lagrenee, who worked as a lawyer for a French corporation at the time of the initial construction. The structure, once known as the Hotel Lagrenee de Mezieres, served as a private house for a rich family.

A church then acquired ownership of the property, and in 1827 it was entrusted to the Sisters of St. Joseph. Since then, it has been used for charitable work and upliftment of the destitute and needy. The sisters later converted the church into a Center for providing work to orphaned girls, impoverished and needy women. The Center has been in operation ever since to fulfill its mission statement.

Image Gallery of Cluny Embroidery Centre Puducherry

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Things to do at Cluny Embroidery Center

You can look around at some beautiful hand embroidered things. The place is great to pick up a few souvenirs to take home as a reminder of your amazing experience at Cluny Embroidery Center. The boutique, which is maintained by Catholic nuns, provides a diverse selection of treasures to entice the shopaholic in you.

At Cluny Embroidery Center, you may purchase a variety of products such as tablecloths, bedsheets, pillow covers, napkins, and other such items with some bright and antique themes. You will find a wide variety of things you can use to adorn your house.

Entry Fee and Timings of Cluny Embroidery Center

There is no entry fee to visit Cluny Embroidery Center. It is open from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon and then from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The center is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

It will take you around 1 to 2 hours to look around the place.

It is advisable to visit the Cluny Embroidery Center from October to March.

How to Reach Cluny Embroidery Center

Previously, visiting Cluny Embroidery Center included taking a flight to Chennai and then figuring out how to get to Pondicherry by car. However, Pondicherry Airport has now been reopened, and a large number of connecting flights may now transport you directly to the center of the city. The Cluny Embroidery Center may also be reached by rail by booking a train from Chennai to Puducherry Railway. Pondicherry Bus Stand is around 2 kilometers from Cluny Embroidery Center. The bus stop is well connected with nearby cities of the region.

You may also hire a two-wheeled vehicle. They are normally available for Rs.250-300 per day, depending on the location. In addition, if you are simply staying in the town, walking or cycling is a fantastic choice.

However, the most convenient method to reach Cluny Embroidery Center is to book a private cab from top car rental companies in Pondicherry and visit all the popular sightseeing places of Pondicherry comfortably during your trip.

Interesting facts about Cluny Embroidery Center

• It is administered by the church, besides conducting religious affairs they are dedicated to working for the welfare of the poor.
• The French nuns who founded the center passed on their skills of French needlework to the ladies of the community. Napkins, bedspreads, and other textile pieces are among the items decorated with thread embroidery.
• The needlework is intricate and rich in design. Three-tone changes are present in a single two-inch representation of a flower. As reference materials, the needlework artists use encyclopedias of flora and birds. The linen used for embroidery is 'imported' all the way from Bhagalpur, Bihar, where it was manufactured.
• The completion of some huge embroidered items might take many months.
• Depending on their level of skill, the ladies receive between Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 10,000 every month.
• Some workers at the center are differently-abled, some come from low-income households, others are divorced or widowed, and some are single.

Things to keep in mind while visiting Cluny Embroidery Center

• Take care of the timings before visiting.
• The Center remains closed on Sundays and Mondays.
• Don’t touch anything without taking permission.

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Location Map for Cluny Embroidery Centre Puducherry