New year gift for Denmark Best Seller from Denmark chose Varanasi weaver community to work with for new year gift for 2006 for their 13000 employees. This can provide a possibility to weavers to a better market & later they can be linked to main stream market through new product line which is different than just making Saree.

Project is to create 13000 gift boxes for Bestseller Gift for new year will have two different boxes for men & women. Thinking that a silk scarf can be very feminine product, for men Metal , wood or Leather were decided. One DVD carrying the process & History of Craft will be accompany the product, their will be a small brochure to introduce the item to the user. Approximately 10000 silk scarves & 4 thousand of Metal or wood item is required.

Process begins - Upasana design team has taken up this project with her Auroville team to do this project. Team has done some study already, soon their design team will go to Varanasi & study the situation as first hand & do a strategy planning for future.

Many organization has been contacted to see what is best so far already done & from where one can pick up the thread. Team has narrowed down Dastkari Haat Samiti to be the body to do the ground level coordination with weaver & also to co ordinate with designer.

One team has done local product survey in Chennai to see what has been Varanasi producing recently. Designers are discussing future possibility for design .Samples are in the process. Team will be coming up with a series of design with different colour possibilities. To choose & final presentation will be made to Best seller in early July.

Different community working with metal & wood had been approached , so far we are still not decided the product. Packing of the gift is already is in the process. The project needs to be completed by NOV 2006

In Response

Dr. Lenin
PVCHR, Varanasi

This is very good initiative. PVCHR and Boonkar Dastkar Adhikar Manch will support this initiative.