Ashok Lunawat runs Vardhaman Enterprises in Bangalore, where he processes garments for export. He is going to help Malkha set up a fabric processing plant next year at a Common Facilities Centre at Sircilla, where we will also have a second dyeing unit. Ashok gave us some idea of the space and the two machines needed: a hydro extractor and a tumble drier. Fabric finishing will be a new area of research for us, as upto now it has been done for us in a small way by Sanjay Gulati of Modelama Exports.

Starting the Bangalore Bazaar on a cheery note: Sales were upto our usual first-day average, even at the out-of-the way venue. Some of the regular malkha customers took the time and trouble to trek 35 km out of the City Centre.

The malkha stall is no 115, inside the hall.

Last minute change: Venue of the Bangalore Nature Bazaar is now

E-Zone Club
23/24 Outer Ring Road
Chinnapanahalli
near Marathalli Bridge
Bangalore 500 037

This is because the Palace Grounds is no longer available for selling events. We understand that the new venue is near Whitefields, and that though it is far from the city centre there are many IT offices nearby...

Stock for Bangalore show

Stock being packed in Hyderabad for the Bangalore show... the hot new item being the wide-bordered natural dyed sarees. This time there is more of the plain natural dyed fabric too besides the regular favourites. Not as much indigo malkha as we would have liked, not enough to meet demand, but we are expanding production, with both the quantity of yarn and dyeing capacity increasing, so there should be enough to go round in the next few months.

Manjishta wide-bordered sari

 
Indigo is the only colour that is dyed cold, an absolutely fascinating process, will soon put up a description with pictures. You start with 3' deep earthen pots set into a bed of sheep dung, add the powdered indigo with lime & extract of boiled cassia tora seed, using waster filtered through sudda matti. The mixture takes about 10 days to ferment before it is ready to be used.

Bangalore again

opening of new malkha centre

The new centre was opened on August 10 by the outgoing CGM of NABARD.. Here Kannan, inventor of the pre-spinning machines, shows the CGM round...for more pics please see facebook page malkhafreedom.

Here we take a step further in our attempt at democracy in the workplace: for the first time all 24 operators will run all the machines, pre-spinning as well as spinning.

Bamboo House exhibition

Our Hyderabad customers often comment on and admire the bamboo furniture & display racks in our shop... well, try and catch the Bamboo House show at the malkha shop, Aug 9-11:

Bamboo house

Exhibition & sale of bamboo furniture

Social entrepreneurs Prashant & Aruna work with tribal artisans

                  to make bamboo craft viable in the market

Thurs Aug 9-Sat Aug 11

10.30 am – 7 pm

Malkha shop

KVIB building [opp NMDC]

Masab Tank