Humble charkha registers record sales

AHMEDABAD: Gandhi charkhas are in vogue. With sale figures registering an unprecedented growth, charkhas are flying off the shelves of Gujarat Khadi Gram Udyog's outlet for Khadi products close to the historic Sabarmati Ashram.
In 2008, 700 spinning wheels were sold. This year, the number has already crossed the 1,000 mark. And, the hot favourite among the three types available is the Bardoli showpiece version.
Of the yarn-spinning wheels sold this year, more than 800 were the Bardoli variety. In 1940, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel started a small charkha manufacturing unit in Bardoli. That is where it got the Bardoli showpiece tag. In 1950, the workshop shifted to Ahmedabad.
Its extensive client list includes Jharkhand government which has purchased more than 350 of these charkhas in the last two years. These showpieces, said sources, are displayed at government offices in Jharkhand.
Various departments of Gujarat government too place orders regularly for the charkha which is gifted to guests and visitors. Kanti Prajapati, manager of khadi product workshop that produces Ambar charkhas says, "NRIs purchase these charkhas as showpieces while it is popular among foreign tourists as a gift item and keepsake. Each day, we sell from five to seven charkhas of all sizes."
Not just this, the charkha manufacturing unit also gets orders from Germany and Japan. Since 2008, over 150 charkhas have been packed and dispatched to Germany through an exporter in Jaipur.
The charkha can actually calm you down. Kodar parmar, store manager of khadi product sale office, says, "Spinning yarn using a charkha focuses your mind and improves concentration. It also gives a lot of mental peace."