These hands have rolled thousands of agarbathis. They have taught at least a hundred youngsters to get the right mix of charcoal powder, jiggat (a binding agent) and sandal wood powder. One of the fore runners of Puducherry’s vibrant agarbathi industry, M. Raghava Pillai (64) now finds it difficult to make ends meet.
Lugging a bag full of agarbathis and scent bottles, he walks from one shop to another in the town. “I stock my wares at these shops. We don’t make much as the export market isn’t very bright at the moment,” he says.
A resident of Muthupillaipalayam near Villianur, he takes his bicycle to reach the main road, which is 4 km away from where he takes a bus to the town.
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“On my return trip, my friend in town gives me a lift back to where my bicycle is parked,” he says.
Ask him about fragrance making and the passion in him is evident by the way he explains everything in detail.
His almirah at home is stocked with bottles of fragrances including patcholi, basil, eucalyptus, lemon grass, jasmine and chocolate.
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“Some of these are used in agarbathis and some in the scent bottles. I also stock the base oils of popular deodorant sprays, which people like to use,” he says.
Mr. Raghava Pillai, who hails from Avanipur near Tindivanam came to Puducherry 45 years ago. He began his career at a leading agarbathi making unit after which he moved on to other units and trained people in the craft.
“Though people in the industry know and respect him and he has taught many people, our lives have remained the same. He did not make much money. For him money does not matter. His work is his passion and of utmost importance,” says his wife R. Ponniammal (54), who married him at the age of 16 and also trains people in agarbathi making.
He sells agarbathis, scents and scented sachets to place in cloth cupboards in exhibitions whenever he gets a chance to participate in them.