Thamboolam treasures

CHENNAI: Pandemic or not, homes of many golu-keepers are bustling with myraid activities of the season: creating new golu themes, picking up new bommais, bringing down the old ones from the attic, and planning the menu for each day. So, while the collective sentiment is to keep the tradition alive, revelry with mindful practice of social distancing is being followed too. No wonder then, in the history of Navaratri, golu-hopping, like most other forms of entertainment, will now be on a virtual medium. But the thamboolam bags — let’s all admit how much we secretly love them — will still be a non-negotiable. Vaishali Vijaykumar curates a list of indigenous, independent brands that have the perfect, sustainable goodie bags to get us through these festive days, despite the virus.

Chingari Jewellery
If you love a contemporary twist to your hamper then the one by Chinagri Jewellery is sure to impress you. From jewellery to block-printed clothes, the hampers can be customised with a wide range of options. “This is particularly for youngsters living abroad who want to give gifts to their friends and family. The hampers can be customised with jhumkas, hair bands made of kemp jewellery and wallets. I’m in talks with a baker friend so you can even expect some brownies in your hampers. We pack them along with kumkum and manjal in a potli bag or a cotton tote of your choice,” reveals Kavita Sridharan. Besides sending a consignment of ajrakh blouse fabrics to the US, recently, she also sent hampers to Doha and Malaysia. 

The Amara Collective
Vidya Gogul’s zero-waste thamboolam was an instant hit on Instagram. Her hamper includes potli bags made from Sungudi and raw silk, a cloth mask, a hand-drawn picture of goddess Shakti, silk blouse piece, a pair of clay diyas, multi-coloured bindis, a pair of earrings, three pairs of glass bangles, stainless steel kumkum chimizh, beetle leaves, manjal kezhangu and charadu. “It took four artisans to work on one thamboolam. The masks were made by an artist from Bihar, bags by a women’s group from Tirunelveli, blouse from Salem, and lamps were picked up from a local artisan. I made it a point to collaborate with independent artists to provide employment opportunities. I’ve been receiving more orders from friends living abroad, who won’t be able to make it for this year’s Navaratri,” shares 
Vidya. The products that go into each thamboolam can be customised.

Prices start from Rs 650

9952990154

Shipping: 3-4 days

Instagram page:  Butyfulme

Butyfulme
The hamper by Butyfulme offers a fine balance of eco-friendly and antique products. You can make customisable combinations with multiple items such as dhoop, Lakshmi sozhi, brass lamp, brass puja items, dandiya stick, brass dayakattai, beetle nut with Pattachitra work, block-printed masks, colourful shells, block-printed blouse and herbal bath powders. “Even the kumkum and manjal is freshly made. The hamper comes neatly packed in a box made of palm leaves. As a brand, we offer wellness products, traditional cookware, and puja items. This is our first year with Navaratri hampers. The sales have been dull owing to prevailing circumstances, but we’ve been receiving inquiries,” says Ramya Padmanabhan, owner of Butyfulme.

Darshan Creations
Navaratri is one of the busiest periods for Vijayalakshmi Sivakumar. Based in Mandaveli, the artist has been making return-gift options and golu dolls for the past eight years. Her paper-quilled kumkum chimizh has been a hot-seller this year. Magnets, fabric jewellery and miniature golu dolls are also on sale. “Earlier, I used to get bulk orders of 20-30 hampers. A Ganesh magnet that I made for one Navaratri was a hit and I sold about 5,000 pieces. This year, I’ve received only a few orders because people are avoiding social gatherings. All the products are paper-quilled or made of recycled materials,” says Vijayalakshmi, founder of Darshan Creations.

The Colour Company
In an endeavour to get children to participate in festivities and to fuel their creativity, The Colour Company has come up with a DIY doll kit. The kit comprises designs of Lord Krishna, Lord Ganesha, Goddesses Durga and Saraswati. While the dolls make for elegant decor, they can also be used for storytelling in golu. “We have received 100 orders globally. We have made digital templates that can be downloaded by clients abroad. Local orders are catered through courier within five days. The kits are eco-friendly and the box it comes in is made of upcycled cardboard,” shares Aarthi Sivaramakrishnan, founder. Each kit has four templates of high-quality cardstock, glue, a set of colours, and instructions. The activity is designed to encourage self-expression, enhance lateral and spatial thinking, increase dexterity, and improve hand-eye coordination in children. All you need to do is colour, cut, fold and stick. The number of dolls can be customised.

Rewind_Madhubani
A scroll down Palakkad-based artist Madhumita’s Dinesh’s Instagram page Rewind_Madhubani will leave you spoilt for choice — especially if you’re looking for quirky and upcycled gifts. Bowls, organisers, trays, accessories, plant holders, key chains, gift boxes...are all made using recycled and leftover materials. “All the products are made using newspaper and fabric scraps., with the help of Shiv Prasad, my craftsperson. We have couriered orders to Pune, Bengaluru, Gurugram, and across Chennai in the previous years. We haven’t sold much this year. But a few bulk orders come in once in a while,” shares Madhumita. Gift boxes made of fabric scraps and cardboard, bag charms, and handmade trays are their bestsellers.