Karnataka’s Charaka movement completes 25 years

Sur Sanjeevini, the annual classical music event will be the grand finale for Charaka’s 25th anniversary celebrations this year

October 14, 2019 04:55 pm | Updated October 15, 2019 08:02 pm IST

Prasanna, the founder of Charaka.

Prasanna, the founder of Charaka.

Charaka Women’s multi-purpose Industrial Cooperative Society in Bheemankone village, Sagara Taluk founded by the theatre personality Prasanna is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. “While dedicating the special year, we are paying rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary,” says Prasanna who is spearheading the Charaka movement and is responsible for its retail wing Desi that markets weaved wonders on a no-profit initiative.

To mark the celebrations, Charaka has arranged an exhibition-cum-sale, and a handloom workshop with master weavers conducting demonstrations of handmade products on October 19 at Chowdiah Memorial Hall from 11am to 7pm. This handloom workshop and sale will conclude with a musical event, ‘Sur Sanjeevini’ organised by Saras Communications at 6.30 pm.

 CHENNAI, 27/12/2015: Violin by Kumaresh at Narada Gana Sabha.  Photo: V. V. Krishnan

CHENNAI, 27/12/2015: Violin by Kumaresh at Narada Gana Sabha. Photo: V. V. Krishnan

Charaka movement

Elaborating on the Charaka movement, Prasanna says it is a rural handloom co-operative with facilities for dyeing, weaving, printing, embroidery and tailoring, that provides design backup for its customers. Charaka’s success story lies in the fact that it is the largest producer of naturally-dyed cotton handloom fabric that includes saris, stoles, towels, bed linen and other items sold through its own retail outlets in rural areas, and Desi brand stores in urban areas across Karnataka. “Both Charaka and Desi have provided ecologically sustainable livelihood opportunities to more than 800 rural artisans, most of whom are women from Karnataka and neighbouring States,” says Prasanna.

For the ‘Cotton Man’ as Prasanna is popularly called, although it has been gratifying that the co-operative efforts have made rough cotton earn its niche for its quality, the rural movement has helped the fabric gain compatiblity in price with its chemically-dyed counterparts.

Charaka’s efforts have seen a different range evolve from Patteda Anchu in Gadag, Ilkal of Bagalkot district and Narayanpet saris of Koppal district of Karnataka, among several others. “We are attempting the weft and warp of Udupi weaves so people are trained in its speciality. In the process, we help preserve this weave for posterity as it is a dying art,” says Prasanna. “Our Charaka model can be replicated by any government in any part of the country,” he adds, as this model store produces 40,000 metres of handloom fabric every month. Charaka which began with 13 women and two sewing machines, is now a 800-strong workforce across nine districts of Karnataka. Charaka provides an alternative sustainable model in textile production to maintain the progress of village economy.

Sur Sanjeevini

Charaka’s day-long event will conclude with a grand musical, ‘Sur Sanjeevini’ featuring vocalist Abhishek Raghuram with Pt. Purbayan Chatterji on the sitar, violinists Kumaresh and Sarnalatha, Tanmoy Bose on the tabla and Arjun Kumar on the mridanga. “This is the fifth edition of Sur Sanjeevini and as before, this event too is free,” says Sandhya S Kumar, founder of Saras Communications. “We will have donation boxes kept at the auditorium and people are welcome to support the cause. This time, the proceeds from ‘Sur Sanjeevini’ will reach the Charaka initiative for the benefit of weavers,” she says.

Talking about the concert, Sandhya says, “Kumaresh, Abhishek and Purbayan will initially have the space to showcase their styles, while the latter half will have all the members on the stage come together for a collective fusion of classical melodies.”

(Charaka’s exhibition and workshop (11am to 7pm) & Sur Sanjeevini (6-30pm), October 19, Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Malleswaram)

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