Products at Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) mela range from food to décor to jewellery

Entrepreneurship with a warm and homely rural touch —that is what the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) and the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) Mela that began at the Manjalikulam SMV School grounds here on Monday is all about.

Organised by the Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat and the District Poverty Alleviation Unit, the event, inaugurated by Deputy Speaker N. Shaktan is slated to continue till September 5. The mela has rural products from 11 block panchayats of Thiruvananthapuram, mostly results of self-employment projects initiated via Kudumbasree. The products range from food to home décor and from garments to jewellery. Special focus was given to handlooms and handicrafts, the organisers said. “They may be the last generation to make such handicraft products. The handicrafts are on the way to extinction,” said George Jacob, Project Director, Poverty Alleviation Unit.

The food products include coconut oil, wine made from gooseberry and ginger, wild honey, sweet and sour chips made with jackfruit and garlic, various spices, tamarind, jaggery, tea powder, pickles, and boiled tapioca and fish curry.

The home décor and decorative items are mostly made of clay and steel with a variety of bamboo products too on display.

Bamboo jewellery

Jewellery made of paper and bamboo too are being sold at affordable prices.

The garments section has handloom saris from Balaramapuram and khadi shirts and dress material apart from a host of readymade dresses. Kitchen utensils, household items including cane and bamboo furniture, washing soaps, cleaning lotions, candles and incense sticks are also available.

Saplings, including those of medicinal plants, organic vegetables, a stall of the Department of Dairy Development where the quality of milk can be tested, a Prakriti Biotech stall where bio-pesticides and fertilizers are available, and a stall of the palliative care unit too are among those that are attracting visitors on day one. G. Mohan, an entrepreneur at the event, said he had found the mela a “profit making opportunity,” which was why he came every year.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Anasooya Sakthidharan / Thursday – September 02nd, 2014

With Onam being just around the corner, a number of Co-operative societies are getting ready with their traditional weaves to meet the popular demand for variety Onakodis. The sarees and other handloom products of Chendamanagalam received the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) registration tag and the sale of the same usually happens between February and May. The sarees, woven of high quality yarn by employing traditional methods are also made, by taking into consideration the climatic changes during these months, thus ensuring superior comfort.

The Chendamangalam handloom weaves are expected to have a sale of above 3 Crores during this festival season. The Chendamangalam double Mundu is priced between Rs.475 – Rs. 1350, the handloom sarees can cost anywhere between Rs.800 and Rs.4000. While the traditional Mundu-Neriyathu comes in the range of Rs.800 – Rs. 2850. Handloom bedsheets are priced between Rs.415 – Rs. 770. Cotton shirt pieces sell at Rs.190 – Rs.220 per metre. The sale of Chendamangalam handloom happens through their exclusive outlets set up in major centres or through Onam exhibitions or sales. The production is mostly concentrated in areas like Chendamangalam, Kuriappilly, and Vypinkara. Major handloom centres in the state like Hantex and Hanveev started sourcing the weaves from the production places around two months back. These are again sold through various textile showrooms or through seasonal exhibitions.

All of the materials sold are of 100 percent cotton and of good quality. The sarees are sold at reasonable rates from Rs. 275 to Rs.1600. The Kasavu sarees of Hantex are priced between Rs.750 to Rs. 16,000. The Kasavu or the plain double Mundu can come up to Rs.400 to Rs.2000 and the shirt pieces are priced between Rs.120 to Rs.320. Bedsheets that come in cotton or satin can cost from Rs.750 – Rs.2080. The Balaramapuram white single Mundu priced from Rs.160 to Rs.200 are much in demand and cotton shirts and matching Mundu in the same pattern is a popular trend now.

The Khadi Gramudyog Bhavan in every Indian state showcases handloom sarees and other weaves from Kerala. The Khadi showrooms will also have textile exhibitions from across the country during Onam. There are sarees ranging from Rs.1000 to Rs.10,000, Mundu in the price range of Rs.500 to Rs.2000, and shirt materials costing from Rs. 120 to Rs.500 at such sales exhibitions. A great variety of silks and cottons are their speciality.

There are a collection of sarees like Sambalpuri, Kosa silk, Rose silk, Jute, Printed appliqué work. Sarees also happen to be the top selling item in fairs.

source: http://www.english.manoramaonline.com / OnManorama / Home> In-depth> Onam / by Manorama Correspondent / Monday – September 01st, 2014