Nurturing Nature

The store’s most substantial collection is of handbags of different sizes,made of coarse,tough banana fibre. Little decorative baskets made from the same material are also available here. Brilliantly-coloured river grass mats and quilts add splash in the otherwise staid interiors. Stout candles from Maher Ashram in Pune,bags made of Ilkal,frames from Triumph Stores in Delhi,bright floral motif trays,and recycled paper stationery from Auroville populate the other shelves. The products have been sourced from handicraft workers from Hampi,Pune,Pondicherry,and villages bordering Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

The Kishkinda Trust was started by Shama Pawar,who has been working with local artisans in the Anegondi village in Karnataka for the past 17 years. “We started Gaia with the thought that if these artisans didn’t showcase the products,they won’t reach out to the market,” she says. The NGO helps the weavers break the cycle of recurring designs by introducing newer ideas,and also wants to equip them with marketing,and ultimately,entrepreneurial skills. Gaia is the initial step in this direction,and as Pawar describes it,will remain a “colourful,young,playful,constantly evolving store. Like the Earth itself.” So come October,an organic food range will be added to the store,while a clothing range for girls and women is expected to start sooner.