Shradhanjali,Auroville,Pondicherry

Shradhanjali is a handicraft unit of Auroville, the International Township located in rural Tamil Nadu. Sharadhanjali is involved in converting the nature into beautiful paper products in a conscious and caring way. They believe in working harmoniously with Nature.

This helps in generating wealth for the growth of Auroville by doing business in an ethical, conscious manner. Profits generated by Shradhanjali are channeled back into the community for its maintenance and development and it also provides a pleasant, stimulating, enriching, educative and empowering working environment for the young village girls it employs.

Shradhanjali is committed to using environmentally friendly processes and techniques workshop is equipped with solar energy, wastewater is recycled and rainwater is harvested. The workshop is very well ventilated, with ample natural light. The young women are comfortably seated and have sufficient working space and companionship.The flowers and plants are grown in our own garden using only organic manure and natural materials as preventives against caterpillars and insects. Drip irrigation is used to prevent water wastage.

Flowers are handpicked everyday and dried in cardboard presses. The dried plant material is stocked in heated cupboards to prevent fungus and moisture damaging it. The pressed flowers have no colour or preservative added to them. Most products are made of handmade paper, which is processed by recycling cotton rags and adding other natural fibers like straw, wool, algae, banana pulp or bamboo.The seeds and seedpods are harvested seasonally and sun-dried. They are coated with transparent varnish for protection.

The products doesn't end with handmade cards.They range from curtains in seeds to,simple chimes from dried leaves and pods ,handmade lamp shades,cushion covers,small vases,file covers,handmade books,files, handmade mats and simple decor items..

You can visit Shradhanjali here.
I have always known about the auroville online store but even then knowing more about shradhanjali was always a pleasure and thanks Diti for letting me know more about Shradhanjali through her posts in her blog.

Visit Diti Kotechas blog.
She says she worked in Auroville and with Shradhajali for some time. Diti is a known documentary and travel photographer and graphic designer and a collector of knick knacks. Her blog was awarded the Best Asian and Ocenian photblog of 2009.

Thanks Diti for sharing the photographs .She shares some amazing clicks which she calls herself "Animal Crackers"