Sankalpa Art Village from its serene location is doing all it can to keep sustainable village industries alive
The rhythms are somehow different here. Sankalpa Art Village is immersed in silence and lush greenery. The only sound is that of a distant chisel at work. Women are engrossed in making natural dyes and behind them under thatched shelters, a few hands silently work on the looms.
Located at Pedagadi near Pendurthi (about 46 kilometres from Visakhapatnam), the story of Sankalpa Art Village is remarkable. A production centre of handloom, naturally dyed yarns, wooden toys and utility products, the village is a self-sustainable unit that supports 12 villagers in its Pedagadi facility and 22 in Palakollu. It was under the mentorship of (retd) Prof Sudhakar Reddy of Department of Fine Arts, Andhra University, that the foundation of Sankalpa was established about six years ago. Since then A Chalapati Rao along with his wife Parvati, the founders of the art village, have been managing the units and encouraging the concept of eco-friendly lifestyles.
This art village is working to support an eco-friendly lifestyle
The drive there is through busy market places and verdant fields. A kilometre ahead of the Sankalpa Art Village is its nursery unit called Eco Friends. Spread over an expanse of eight acres, a flood of green greets the eyes as I step into the place that nurtures medicinal plants native species of tree saplings and other flora. R Lakshmi, a member of Sankalpa, walks me through the nursery, meticulously pointing out the properties of each and every plant species. A resident of a neighbouring village, Lakshmi has been around since the beginning. “Over a period of time, I have learnt the names and properties of every plant. Now I can easily sense if a plant needs extra attention. These are like my family members,” she says.
Reaching out
Over the past few years, Sankalpa Art Village and its eco-friendly products have made their presence felt in New Delhi and Hyderabad. “In April, we will be showcasing our eco-friendly and organic summer weaves at Dastkar in New Delhi,” says Chalapati. Their coconut shell crockery and cutlery has found a growing market in Hyderabad. “For a long time, we struggled to find a market for the handmade eco-friendly products. It is only now that people are opening up to them,” he explains. Chalapati gave up his career as a journalist to encourage traditional art and crafts when he moved here from Rajahmundry a couple of years ago.
projects by Sankalpa
Landscaping and greening of the 125 acres East Point Golf Club
Plantation drive at Simhachalam as part of CSR activity of LG Polymers
National Highway 16 landscaping
Sankalpa’s units at Pedagadi has four looms weaving cotton textiles and at its Palakollu unit, there are 22 where even silk pattu saris are woven. The saris and fabrics are coloured with dyes made with plant seeds and roots like annatto seeds, manjista roots, turmeric, pomegranate and onion peels, eucalyptus bark and fenugreek seeds. “In natural dyes one of the difficult shades is green. Usually, it is made by combining indigo and turmeric. But we have found a unique way of producing a natural green shade by using Atibala (Abutilon Indicum), a medicinal herb” explains Chalapati. The weaving and colouring unit at Sankalpa is buzzing as they have to meet a textile order from a Delhi-based designer. “The process is elaborate and time-consuming and each step has to be properly followed to ensure the dyes last longer,” says P Suguna, a resident of Pinagadi village and a member of Sankalpa.
This art village is working to support an eco-friendly lifestyle
Chalapati now plans to start a vocational training centre within the art village for the school drop-outs from the neighbouring villages. In less than a month’s time, a terracotta making, ceramic pottery and handmade-paper making units will come into operation. While Sankalpa displays its products in various handicraft and handloom exhibitions in Visakhapatnam, its members are hoping to open dedicated stores in Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad.
This art village is working to support an eco-friendly lifestyle
But the bigger challenge they face is keeping this traditional handicraft alive. “The market is slowly opening up. But where are the young weavers? The next generation is simply not interested to take the ancient profession forward,” rues Chalapati. The situation is no different for the artisans making wooden or coconut shell products. Sitting under a flickering lamp, Subba Rao silently chisels a chessboard pawn from palm wood. “This two-inch pawn took me nearly an hour’s work. But my son doesn’t show interest in this art,” says Subba Rao, who is a traditional Etikopakka artisan.
