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Shanthimalai Handicrafts Development Society
The Shanthimalai Trust was founded in the year 1986. Its principal objective was to improve the living conditions of the poverty-stricken rural people of the region through the development of indigenous knowledge and skills including handicraft production.
In the year 2001, the handicrafts sector was established as an independent organisation under the banner of Shanthimalai Handicrafts Development Society. Since then, it has continued the original vision of the Trust, training and supporting local handicraft workers and artisans and providing wider arenas for the sale of their handicrafts in both national and international markets.
The society functions with the main objective of helping the poor village people in the surrounding areas of Tiruvannamalai. At the time of its inception, it was considered that, by providing the rural folk with proper training in traditional weaving methods and other types of native handicraft-making, it would enable them to earn their own livelihood in a respectable manner and that too, from a trade which would be beneficial to their culture as well as the environment, resulting finally in improving their social and economic standards.
Activities
The Embroidery Section with 120 women makes hand-embroidered towels, tablecloths, cushion covers, hand towels and curtains and also undertakes embroidery work on all types of garments.
The Hand-work Section with 100 women is engaged in making cotton-stuffed cloth dolls, bead-worked cushion covers and pillow-cases, multicoloured nylon wire bags and beads and mirror worked shopping bags.
The Tailoring Section with 50 workers produces school uniforms, pants, pillows, cushions and covers for the same, handcrafted cloth-bags and readymade dresses (esp. for women).
The Leaf-painting Section has 40 workers and makes designed and hand-painted greeting cards using dried peepul leaves.
The Batik and Block-printing Section, working with the traditional style of manual block printing and Batik form of dyeing, produces attractive wall hangings, dress materials, curtains, towels, table cloths, pillow and cushion covers, table napkins, blankets and bedcovers.
The Palm-leaf Section has 30 workers fabricating bowls, shopping baskets, trays, garlands, tea & table-mats made out of palm leaves.
The Weaving Section uses the Gandhian method of handloom weaving, and produces all sorts of hand-woven cloth and fabric, napkins, placemats and bedsheets.
The Cane-furniture Section makes a wide range of handcrafted cane furniture like chairs, tables, beds, unjal (Swings), and easy-chairs.
Finally, ARUNA CRAFTS is the shop selling the handicrafts made in the above sections to the local public and thus serves as their retail outlet in Tiruvannamalai.
In all, more than 300 women find support and sustenance through the Shanthimalai network headed by its Secretary, Mr. M. Manoharan, who is also on the Board of IFFAD. The atmosphere that one witnesses throughout their network is informal and friendly and people committed to their task with an ever-smiling face like their silent performer, Mr. Manoharan.
Products : Batik & Cotton Embroidery, Leaf-paintings, Palm-leaf products, Soft toys, Bedsheets, Napkins, Table-cloth, Towels, Wall-hangings, Curtains, Aprons & Pillow-covers.
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