Temple Town Madurai has several irresistible oddities that are pretty and witty, historic and enchanting, tasty and delicious, fragrant and elegant. Yet, one never – or rarely – found anything sporting the “I love Madurai” tag.
Now finally Madurai has arrived on the souvenir scene. Thanks to the INTACH local chapter that brought in youthful Nikita S.Veejay from Chennai to design and offer some simple and affordable items to tourists to take home the Madurai essence.
She unveiled the first batch of collectibles -- key chains and fridge magnets – at a simple event organised by INTACH. “The major task,” says Nikita, “was to highlight the cultural aspects of the city besides the Meenakshi Temple it is so famous for.”
To keep the theme local has always been the crux of her every project. “There is a niche market for souvenirs and out-of-the-box merchandise as they invoke a sense of allegiance to the place you belong to,” says the 26-year-old founder of Urumi, a brand that boasts of a line of ethnic and eclectic products.
Though key chains and fridge magnets are very common souvenirs sold all over the world, Nikita’s products are different. While others sell these items mostly made in ceramic, Nikita does them in plastic and rubber given the better shelf life and printing quality. But more important is the theme chosen for the products and the narrative behind each of the design or the symbol, she asserts.
Knowing about why a thing has been highlighted or the story behind the symbol makes even a simple item unique, says Nikita. For Madurai, she carefully chose five themes besides the Meenakshi Temple.
The fragrant Madurai Malli unrivalled in allure and popularity, the city as Tamil Nadu’s food capital known for the ‘mess’ culture selling tasty and local dishes and Kannagi, the legendary character in Tamil epic ‘Silapathikaram’ offer a holistic view of the ancient city, she says.
She has also taken care of crafting every letter and packaging the items attractively. For instance, in the “I Love Madurai” theme, the letter ‘M’ has been designed like a temple gopuram. Nikita feels when you give these special touches to the item, it trends immediately. “You feel proud about your culture,” she adds.
Her first product launched two years ago, the “Iyer USB” – a 4GB pen drive in the shape of a Tamil Brahmin priest wearing pattai and veshti – was an instant hit. We released 200 pieces in the first batch and there was such a great demand to increase “Iyer’s memory space” that we did repeat batches with 8GB USB drives, says Nikita.
The Madurai-born, Chennai-raised MBA degree holder was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug early. “I always dreamt of having my own store of souvenirs and merchandise,” she gushes. Also extremely fond of travelling, she was taken in by the abundance of souvenirs the world over.
The kitschy, quirky, retro, funky products made her dream big enough to launch her own line --Urumi. Lot of thought went into it, says Nikita, because I wanted to put South India on India’s tourism map first with some desi creativity. Call it kitsch art or pop art, from kili josiyam and metal calendars to T-shirts, coffee mugs, quiz boxes, notepads, coasters, stickers, posters, hand bags and cushions, all having local themes with pan-India appeal have become fashion statements, according to Nikita.
It appeals to the buyers, majorly youngsters, for its Indianness or its intrinsic South-Indianness, she says. Following the coffee shop model for retailing, Nikita sells her products out of two dozen stores and kiosks in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and has also tied up with the Taj group of hotels in Coorg, Chennai and Bangalore. She also actively participates in the free markets in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.
Nikita is well aware of the many players in this segment now. Bengaluru-based Chumbak was among the first to enter into the relatively unknown market space, whose owl and elephant-themed bags, purses and Tees were a big hit among the young crowd. Later brands like Masala Chai, Urumi, Arty Souk, Pink Jalebi, Happily Unmarried and Goli Soda, to name a few, flooded the market with their off-the-wall products and drawing the hep young crowd.
Realising that hobbies are becoming a big business, Nikita launches a fresh collection of items with new themes and designs twice or thrice a year. “It is exciting to be competitive,” she smiles. Nikita feels Madurai missed offering good souvenirs for long even though there is a huge market. There is abundance of civilisation here but very little conservation, she points out, adding, “all that the city needs is a doable USP.”
Dr Uma Kannan, Convener INTACH-Madurai, launched the souvenirs:
Souvenirs are an important aspect of the tourist experience. They are symbolic reminders of fond memories during vacations. They serve as mobile ambassadors of the city and have traditional and cultural value as they capture the feel of the city. They are also educative - when memories fade they serve as reminders and bring back memories.
Mr. M. D. VEL, Executive Committee member and past Co-convener was instrumental in roping in Urumi:
It is a shame that an ancient city like Madurai had no souvenirs designed, produced and sold in an organised manner whereas abroad cities less than 100 years old market themselves so well with a range of appealing souvenirs. Now, Urumi with the ‘Marvel@Madurai’ collection will enable tourists from all over to take a slice of Madurai back. This would also strengthen the pride for the city. INTACH will facilitate in keeping this small but significant initiative going.”
Pick up the ‘Marvel@Madurai’ souvenirs from:
Chola Arts shop at Hotel Fortune Pandiyan and Hotel GRT Regency; The Malli Poo shop at Madurai Airport; The Temple Book Shop at Meenakshi Amman Temple; The Gandhi Museum;
Hotel Germanus; Factory Fresh Shop on Madurai-Rameswaram Highway; Hotel J.C.Residency;
The Gateway Hotel, Pasumalai; Heritage Hotel, Hotel Sangam; Hotel Supreme; DHAN Foundation
