Sri Nagavalli sprinkles sugar powder on the thin layer, looking similar to a trace paper, adds powdered dry nuts, seals it with ghee, rolls and folds it neatly to form a rectangular ‘Puthareku’. Hailing from Athreyapuram in East Godavari district, which is famous for the mouth-watering sweet, she also sells ‘Thatitandra’ and ‘Mamidithandra’. Kota Devaki Devi, who prepares and sells 24 types of pickles including vegetarian and non-vegetarian varieties and dispenses the material from huge drums to small easy-to-carry containers.
Ms. Devaki and Ms. Nagavalli are the President and Secretary respectively of the Abhyudaya Grameena DWCRA State committee, an apex body of 300 entrepreneurial self-help group women representing the 13 districts post-bifurcation. The “DWCRA Bazar”, currently on at the Sindhura Hall in Ramanuja Circle, is the first such expo by the women in Tirupati, after successfully holding such events in Nampally (Hyderabad) thrice, Manuguru (Khammam district of Telangana) and in Visakhapatnam during the Telugu Desam Party’s recently-held Mahanadu.
Rather than the wide range of products on display such as Kalamkari textiles, silk saris, fancy jewellery, linen range and scores of eatables, what attracts one is the dedication and aspiration with which the 60 women landed in Tirupati for the 10-day expo. Apart from their own stalls, the members, who are beneficiaries under the ‘Chandranna Cheyutha’, have also offered stalls to single, widowed, aged and destitute women in need of financial support.
“The idea is mutual support and collective work for a better life. Our members believe in a fresh approach to life with a new mindset,” says Ms. Devaki Devi. “Life would have crushed me after becoming a widow three decades back, had I not shown the resilience to move ahead,” she said grimly. The team has also provided stalls to male members who can be their ‘brothers and sons’.
“It is their will power that made me purchase the affordably priced good quality products here,” said a local priest K. Govindacharyulu, who gave a patient hearing to their success story. “My products are priced one-third of those sold in swanky showrooms or glittery malls, still public patronage is relatively poor,” rues Ahmed Nawaz of Jaipur, who sells Rajasthani tops and dress material. The expo ends on June 26.