That Saraswathi Vasudevan has a knack for numbers is quite evident. A senior teacher of mathematics, she taught for years in reputed schools in the city. Ten years ago, she surprised all her friends and students by putting in her papers and opening an outlet, Tejas, that sold niche jewellery sourced from places and designers all over India.
An A-list of clients and an enviable collection of accessories could not satiate the aesthete in her. So, two years ago, she began holding workshops on quilling, terracotta jewellery, Vadasseri temple jewellery and so on. “I wanted people to learn more about the exquisite craftsmanship of our country and also encourage them to try their hand at making things on their own,” she explains.
On Sunday, she moves on to the next step in her dream — an art and craft corner that will have a range of materials needed for art, needlework, decoupage and other crafts. Tejas and Saraswathi are all set to mark their tenth anniversary with an add-on of “a one-of-its-kind craft store that will allow leisurely and comfortable viewing of products beyond jewellery.” It wil be inaugurated on Sunday.
Her journey as an entrepreneur began with temple jewellery, always a passion for Saraswathi, when her daughter, Priyanka Vasudevan, started learning dance. “The jewels that Priyanka wore were appreciated by her friends and I sourced some of the jewels for them,” she recalls. Soon, her network grew. In 2008, she set up Tejas at Chalakuzhy Road at the prodding of her late husband, V Vasudevan, a scientist. “He told me that if I found that entrepreneurship was not to my liking, he would manage the shop and that I could go back to teaching.”
However, Saraswathi’s husband passed away in 2012 and she found it difficult to cope with the loss. “Then, with encouragement from my daughter and friends, I came back to manage Tejas.” That was when it became a full-fledged vocation for her. “What is the point in selling something that is not extraordinary?” she wonders.
To source the best, she travels to places that have made a name in jewellery. So be it Odisha’s tribal jewellery or Kohlapuri jewellery, she sources it directly from the artisans. Once a year, she hosts a big-ticket two-day event, ‘Mahima,’ which provides a platform for up-and-coming women artistes. For a nominal fee, women are given the opportunity to display and sell their wares.
However, Saraswathi missed the teacher in her and she began by holding workshops on quilling and making of terracotta jewellery. When her posts on social media caught the attention of many, she expanded her classes to include crochet and embroidery. “Right from basic stitches to specialised ones like kantha, mirror-work and bead-work, I teach students what they would like to learn. Since last year, I have also been teaching crochet,” she adds.
While buying materials for needle craft and her workshops, she found out how difficult it was to get the right kind of threads, wool, paints and needles for her craft classes. The entrepreneur in her sensed a business opportunity and so she decided to add on to her outlet a space dedicated to art and craft.
“All that you need to indulge the artiste in you will be there. I got in touch with manufacturers like Camlin, Pidilite and Anchor to buy what I needed,” she says. Saraswathi hopes to add more craft classes in needle craft and teach children who want to do projects on their own. “A summer camp is on the cards and so are workshops to introduce children to our art heritage such as Madhubani, Tanjore, Midhila, Warli and so on,” she says. Though a late bloomer in entrepreneurship, this has not dissuaded the 61-year-old from keeping in step with the times, as she keeps a tab on her smartphone to see what her WhatsApp groups are talking about.
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