Charakha

A women’s collective, it is a rural enterprise that has managed to successfully engage most young girls and women. Providing an alternate source of income to these women, Charakha, located at Bheemanakone near Heggodu, has deeply impacted the socio-economic fabric in the region. Started by Padmashri Kuntgodu Vibhthi Subbanna, an acclaimed theatre person and Kannada writer, today every woman employed at Charakha takes home at least Rs 3000/month. It’s not just this money that counts; additionally she also takes home immense tall heaps of self-confidence and self-belief.

For most of us or our children who may not have had the opportunity to see the journey from fiber to fabric, a visit to Charakha is useful. It showcases it brilliantly. Women here weave cotton yarns into fabric and use natural products like cinnamon, banana, boiled areca nut waste etc for dying. The fabric is later stitched, hand block printed or embroidered. The final products are up for sale both in Bheemanakone (at a corner kiosk) and in many retail outlets in Bangalore called DESI. This is an ideal place to pick up a local souvenir.