Bring home a slice of ethnic India

Co-branding is the keyword for Jayshree Krishnan and Anita Chandramohan's handicraft store -- Maati. Here, you not only get to buy unique accessories but also take home an interesting story or two about the artisans who make these products

Co-branding is the keyword for Jayshree Krishnan and Anita Chandramohan's handicraft storeu00a0-- Maati. Here, you not only get to buy unique accessories but also take home an interesting story or two about the artisans who make these products

As we walk into the store, the owner Anita Chandramohan is busy giving instructions to her assistant. She's making sure that the various products they source from across the country get the best display. It's amazing how much the two ownersu00a0-- Jayshree Krishnan and Anitau00a0-- have managed to fit into their tiny little store, located in the unlikeliest of shopping centres, on the outskirts of Hiranandani Complex, Powai.


Jayshree Krishnan and Anita Chandra Mohan with animal figurines by
a Gujarat-based organisation, Ochre

REGIONAL FLAVOUR
At first sight, Maati appears as a cross between FabIndia and The Bombay Store. Saris, kurtas, quilts and cushions jostle for space with home accessories and knick-knacks from little-known villages. The major difference between these bigger stores and Maati is the co-branding. Whether it is the Palewa Stone bookends from Agra or the Mushroo block print cushions from Kutch, the original makers of the products are given due
credit. "We didn't wish to be a big retail chain, which does not give credit to the artisans who make the product. We want our customers to ask us where each product is from and understand the cultural background of the artist as well," says Anita. So each product here has its own brand tags, that also includes some
information on the organisation that creates it.

WHAT WE LIKED
Anita states that their personal favourite products are from Kutch. We liked the laquerware Macchiu00a0-- a
traditional stool (Rs 1,800 each) and kitchen utensils (Rs 300 each), hand embroidered table runners (Rs 975
each) and handwoven cotton dhurries (Rs 690 for a 2x3 piece) from Kutch. The Tibetan belt (Rs 1,650) and
choker (Rs 900) from Himachal Pradesh are the most striking pieces from the jewellery collection. The handmade ceramic tea filter (Rs 300) from Auroville is bound to help you make perfect chai at your workplace. But the cutest products in the store are the ceramic animals (Rs 100 to Rs 360) from Anand, Gujarat.

FOR A CAUSE
Most products are retailed exclusively from Maati in Mumbai. But unlike bigger retail outlets, Maati does not insist on big quantities from its artisans. "The people we work with come from really backward conditions. There are some artists who don't have access to even a mobile phone, while there are others who refuse to work on bigger consignments because they don't want to compromise on quality. The artists' concerns are our priority and we have built a faithful clientele who value and understand where our artists come from," says Anita.

At Shop 109, first floor, Powai Plaza, Adi Shankaracharya Marg, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai.
Open 10.30 am to 8.30 pm
Call 25717209

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