Summertime is when folks in the plains get to be temporary residents of Coonnor, the charming hill station in the Nilgiris. It’s also a time to catch up with friends, enjoy the unparalleled beauty of the mist descending from the hill tops,the flitting of bulbuls, the myriad colourful seasonal flowers and crisp mountain air .
One of my favourite things to do is to accompany my mother to the various sales at the local clubs and encounter local talent. These stalls sell everything from freshly made jams, squashes, cakes and chocolates to linen, embroidered home utilities and quaint handicrafts.
This year we were immediately drawn to an exquisitely crocheted woollen throw created with minute attention to detail in a riot of unusual colour combinations. The collection included an extensive range of items — bags, coasters, jewellery, capes and adorable foot warmers. The lady who makes all these pieces hails from the Badaga community and recently made Coonoor her permanent home after decades of travelling all over the country alongside her husband who served in the armed forces.
ADVERTISEMENT
Tara Jayaprakash accepted our lavish compliments graciously and credited her passion for handwork to her community. Her mother, grandmother and aunts have always been keen on knitted craft with a particular affinity for wool as it was necessary to keep warm in the hills. She too loves working with it and says that she always spends far too much when shopping for wool. Her products are unique because of the way the threads are fashioned into crocheted squares of pretty mosaic-like designs and then put together to form a lovely patchwork effect. Tara works on her own from home and tries to finish a shawl within a week. Though she has begun selling her work only recently, crocheting with wool has always been a much-loved hobby, no matter which part of the country the family was stationed.
Pakshalika Jayaprakash, her Mumbai-based daughter and a jewellery designer, encouraged her to showcase her wares. Pakshalika’s Facebook page called Studio Ostara also carries photos of her mother’s designs.
Jayaprakash is quite happy to chat about her work and is happy to take custom orders. It’s so delightful to chat with such a talented home entrepreneur who is extremely passionate and utterly modest about her hand skills. To purchase beautiful objects of art from people who revere their work just makes the buy even more special, almost priceless in fact !
ADVERTISEMENT
The price of the products range from ₹100 to ₹5000 depending on the size. Contact her at 9845112250 or 0423-2207088