A half lawyer from Pune University, Shubha couldn't really fit in. The career took a turn from Law to NGO management and as it must have been written in the stars the course got cancelled. But one thing she was sure, there was no turning back to Law and as a blessing in disguise she took a Postgraduate diploma course at NIFT, Delhi.
That’s when in the intricacies of thread she realised her true calling was indeed- TEXTILES.
Her childhood was spent around fabrics, artisans & craftsmen and that's what she grew up with. It was intriguing for her to see how a simple grey fabric of 6 yards can be adorned with endless craftsmanship and can turn into the most beautiful saree in one's closet which passes from generation to generation.
After completing her course, and thereafter working with a retail ethnic brand for 3 years she realised how people had switched to other dresses and how a SARI was losing it’s appeal.How people were not interested in the intricate Patan Patola from Gujarat but preferred designer suits.How people had to think twice to wear a sari for an occasion. How gradually sari was going out of their daily dressing and there comfort zone.
It was then, Shubha founded HATHKARGHA an initiative to bring back that old lost charm of wrapping a sari with six pleats along the waist, taking the pallu around and putting it on the shoulder and cling the edge of the pallu with the pinky finger to give the most gracious look . The journey ahead was all about travelling and handpicking saris from weavers all over the length and breadth of the different states of INDIA. Started exhibiting her collection and fortunately people gave a very positive response.
As she says “I always picked saris of my choice and that gave me motivation as I saw people loving and appreciating, it was like my dream was coming true and I never thought it would ever go beyond my city but the love I received for the products I exhibited was beyond bounds. I started to receive orders from various cities and then couriers started to go to different states and eventually before I could realise- we were shipping international. (it still gives me goosebumps thinking about those moments)'
Hathkargha has been my quickest decisions of all, and I always tell people when they ask me for any advice/suggestion- 'Just Do it' and everything falls in its own place.
With time, an online portal had to be launched for people to shop globally and an in-house team was set up at Roorkee, Uttarakhand which comprises of skilled tailors, artisans and dedicated people who add creativity to each sari making it a unique piece added with their 'karigari'.
So a sari from Hathkargha is a journey, a journey from the weaver who weaves it with his own hands- 'full of imperfections but in its own perfect ways', to the Hathkargha 'garage' where talented artisans add creativity and our passionate ladies (now declared as designers by us) add on the beauty by putting handcrafted tassles and what not. This is a journey where a simple 6 yard piece of fabric is dipped in with love and hardwork and when you buy from Hathkargha- you win all their hearts:)
Today Hathkargha operates from Dehradun , Uttarakhand and launched its first store in Feb'2019. We are fortunate to have clients visiting us from all over and the love they show us mean everything to us, the conversations we make over 'a cup of chai' gives us an opportunity to grow and learn, and the words of appreciation/advices/ suggestions they give us are duly picked, sealed and dispatched to the pillars of Hathkargha through Express inhouse Delivery :)
