THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The next time you decide to flirt with khadi or own some of the indigenous rural items which are fresh out of cottage industries, think of Gandhi Bhavan. Why? The Kerala Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, on its Gandhi Bhavan compound, has opened an all-seasons khadi emporium which stocks khadi and village industries products at reasonable prices. The emporium, named Gramodyog Bhavan, was inaugurated by Minister for Khadi and Village Industries C N Balakrishnan on Gandhi Bhavan campus on Wednesday. From khadi clothing to honey and carpet, everything you get here is handmade. ‘’We have spared no place for factory-made products,’’ says Nanukuttan Nair, a Gandhi Bhavan official. The cotton khadi and muslin khadi, all woven straight out of weaving units run by the Gandhi Bhavan in various places in the district’s outskirts, have been lined up here. They do not carry expensive price tags as you expect khadi products to have. The wide range of poly textiles and silk embroidery would also knock your breath out. Sarees and silk dress materials have been stored, though limited for the opening day. Then there are the carpets, bedsheets, pillows, pillow-covers and so on, all furnishing items that are of high quality from the house of khadi. There are gift articles like the curios in coconut shell and models of handmade decorative pieces like ships, small idols and the like. A figure of Lord Krishna, in a medium size, would cost you just ` 520. The variety in chappals, which include the ‘thukal sandals’, is attractive. In the neatly arranged shelves below, lots of ayurvedic and swadeshi products straight out of the various village industry units managed by Gandhi Bhavan and the Khadi and Village Industries Department have been lined up. They include high quality honey, ginger oil, soaps, spices and cane furniture. A magnificent cane chair with the cushion on costs ` 2,780. Handicrafts and coir products also usurp a huge portion in the khadi emporium. Beautiful coir carpets, bags and miniature items are a treat to eyes. ‘’Usually, we organise an exhibition and sale during Onam. With the emporium, which will remain a permanent venue to display the products, our units and our craftsmen could now have more income all through the year,’’ said Nanukuttan Nair. The emporium has not forgotten the man behind the principles followed by the Bhavan. Gandhiji’s framed photos and books on Gandhian principles adorn the shelves here. The emporium will be opened till evening for the public on all days.
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