The web of maya

Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

Down to earth Maya Organic was begun to empower individuals and groups in the informal sector

Your eye catches the signboard – a splash of sunny orange on MO and then, as you go up to Maya Organic, it wanders around and takes in the sheer expanse and spaciousness of the store.

The range of wooden toys are a sea of difference from the mass-produced garish plastic variety found in big stores.

It was three years ago that Maya Organic India Private Ltd (MOIPL), a livelihood development initiative, started working with the informal sector comprising artisans, craftspeople, Self Help Groups (SHGs), carpenters and weavers. Flowing cotton shirts and kurtas for both men and women in pastel and bright shades are Rs. 280 and upwards.

The style is kept simple — nothing over the top or flashy. Off-white kantha coir looks cool and comfortable, maroon angaraka shirts is semi-formal, but the slightly rough texture of the multi-hued striped shirts and printed kurtas tend to be commonly found on the street-sides and the extra-large sizes don’t seem to fit a heavy person.

The furniture range is, again, smart, modish and contemporary. It is not laminated or unsteady like most furniture-lines with ridiculous price-tags, but one that is sturdy, solid and functional and made from plantation and maranti wood.

One could have the impression that the stuff is ‘designer-wear’ or ‘imported’, and discover that it’s actually made by the skilled hands of our country’s craftspeople in Channapatna, Gottigere, Ramnagaram and even the Bodo tribe in Assam.

Solid beds, desks, television stands, bookshelves, sideboards, sofa and dining table sets, Louvre cupboards and more, come in uniquely different designs. Designs that think and can be dismantled, so that you’re ready to fold and pack up a book-rack in a jiffy, move houses or go on a holiday. Or a cupboard that has adjustable shelves according to your space requirements. The low slumber-bed is the customer’s favourite at Rs. 16,000. And with a long breakfast-table on wheels that goes right over, it’s ideal if you want to write, read or eat in bed.

MOIPL’s CEO, Solomon J. P. says: “It was in 1989 that Maya started working with children and education, and found that to address this issue we must be able to address their parents’ livelihood conditions. So, we started giving them vocational training, honing their existing skills and giving them a market to sell their products.”

“There were no loans available, they used subsidised materials, chemical dyes and there was no design development,” he says. Moreover, their working conditions were bad and they kept shifting to manual labour when there was a market-slump. Interestingly, he mentions: “The handicrafts sector gained seven billion rupees in exports last year alone — obviously this money didn’t trickle down to the artisans themselves. So, we wanted to go beyond creating a market for them, and create micro-entrepreneurs so that their pride is re-instilled.”

Significantly, the lac-ware products – those wooden, organic, vegetable-dyed Tuttu turtles, string scootles, cubbies and playschool abacus were one of the awardees of the 2004 UNESCO-CCI (Crafts Council of India) Seal of Excellence. These toys and other products make for ideal educational materials, perfect for Montessori set-ups. There are also clothes, quilts, furniture for children and also attractive home accessories like candle-stands.

Maya Organic is located at No. 15 Banerghatta Road, J.P Nagar, opposite Shopper’s Stop and is open on all days between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. Call 26580511 or visit www.mayaorganic.com

AYESHA MATTHAN

© Copyright 2000 - 2006 The Hindu