Homegrown brands from Tricity reviving the roots, this Diwali

“Our fabric has been designed and printed in-house, each product is symbolic of a beautiful memory of the nineties – be it the marigold and pink lotus and bandhej prints and motifs, handmade firecracker torans, hamper baskets with doris and firecracker tassels, laddoo boxes and dabbas for sweets and dry fruit to handmade anar, sutli bomb, rocket and chakri brooches – each product has been handcrafted from our leftover fabric and accessories by our local artisans. Our boxes too are steel-based. It’s a sincere sustainable restoration and revival of craft,” says Shagun, whose studio Pataaree is based in Industrial Area, Chandigarh.

Terra Co’s diwali collection includes beej gheebatti and beej toran (wall hanging), among other natural goodies. (Pataaree studio)

At the Terra Co in Panchkula, Tanika Bansal’s ‘plant a beej patakha’ initiative has been a hit. Her Beej Patakha are a box of colourful anars, rockets, laddis, chakris, all handcrafted and hand-moulded using the traditional craft of making toys of terracotta. “We have handcrafted firecrackers with the soil of mother earth, vermicompost, coco peat, seeds and ingredients required for the growth of a plant. Through this, we are trying to motivate and educate people to not burst but plant these plantable crackers and save the planet,” says Tanika. The Terra Co’s diwali collection also includes beej gheebatti and beej toran (wall hanging), among other natural goodies (www.terraco.in).

Firecrackers that sprout into plants, sweet boxes and torans that revive a lost era, chocolates that are preservative free, products that have natural dyes – homegrown brands from the Tricity are aiming at a nature-friendly handcrafted festival of lights.

From festive handmade patchwork torans, festive charms, table runners, to chic handmade bags, and home decor items, Chhoti Si Asha has created quite a spread. (Pataaree studio)

This year, as they officially kickstart operations and celebrations, North India’s first bean to bar chocolate brand Mozimo, is all set to transport you to a world of artisan handcrafted chocolates with their debut collection curated for Diwali gifting. “Gourmet chocolate that is preservative, additive and plastic free. Also, we source our cocoa from a slavery free region which is south India. For us, chocolate is a canvas for creativity, a medium for exploration, and a celebration of beauty. It’s also an endeavour to be part of the global craft chocolate revolution, to explore spectacular diversity of cocoa with best techniques, beans and equipment, to innovate and curate treats that are not only delectable but also have a positive impact on health and the environment,” says Priyanka Gupta, co-founder Mozimo that is situated in Sector 9 inner market, Chandigarh.

Meanwhile, city based NGOs have elevated the gifting options by presenting the rich heritage of the country, and stories of hope and empowerment. “Chhoti Si Asha celebrates Indian crafts, women artisans, and being desi at heart. And this year, our festive collection is a testament to the art of transforming pre-consumer textile waste into exquisite handcrafted affordable products, all made by the remarkable hands of women artisans,” says founder, Liza Chawla Tandon, encouraging people to choose handcrafted pieces and support a sustainable and artistic movement. From festive handmade patchwork torans, festive charms, table runners, to chic handmade bags, and home decor items, Chhoti Si Asha has created quite a spread. One can check out more on http://www.chhotisiasha.org.

Samarpan NGO in Panchkula supports the underprivileged children who make diyas themselves. “We’ve been working with these kids for 15 years now, and each year they source the diyas themselves, get the wax, and we provide wicker and paint,” says Ravee Pandher of the Foundation, who then reaches out to friends and family and patrons of the NGO for its sale.

Working closely with the underprivileged women for five years now, NGO ThreadBee has been imparting vocational training in art and craft skills like stitching, embroidery, pottery, crochet, etc. “We then help them curate festival-specific products and market them. This Diwali we have paintings, hand-made diyas, decorative candles, handcrafted bags, embroidered pouches, etc. Products can also be custom-made, depending on demand,” says Livia Tandon, founder, ThreadBee (www.threadbee.in).

Moving away from the synthetic Chinese made flood of gifting options in the market are studios like Rangaai and SoulMaatee that are using natural resources to create sustainable products.

Rangaai products (Pataaree studio)

Rangaai’s founder Ritu Bansal started with the idea of bringing sustainable fashion and accessories for women who aspire to age gracefully, she has grown her range to now eco-friendly printed table runner, wall art, table covers, silk scarves all made with 100 per cent natural materials and dyes. While you can check out more in rangaai.in, Raveena Suri’s creative unleash through clay can be found on Instagram on Soulmaatee9. For this season, she is exploring the Japanese Raku firing technique and has been playing a lot with colours, all sustainable and nature friendly.

Another interesting Diwali hamper is that of ‘natural, healthy, sustainable line of skin care essentials called Icawnic’ by entrepreneur Nimrit Gill. “Handcrafted, good for skin and for the environment,” says Nimrit, adding a new element to the gifting range this season. Happy gifting!