“You name it and they can design it” — that is the kind of creative talent this couple is known for. And not just in Tamil Nadu where they come from, but outside the State as well. Ranging from all incarnations of God, different politicians, birds, flowers and other decorative figures, the duo has perfected the art of designing bamboo frames and putting life into the structures through tiny electric bulbs that glow and glitter in myriad hues.

About a decade ago, Ashok, from the remote village of Arasanarkulam in Tirunelveli district, worked in a small serial bulb factory in Tuticorin. The payment he received did not make both ends meet. A creative man, adept at sketching figures and moulding bamboo sticks to make frames of the same shapes, he decided to go back home and start his own micro enterprise of putting together serial lights from tiny bulbs, a skill he had learnt at the factory.

To begin with, his wife, Dhanalakshmi, lent a hand. As the venture progressed, they trained another three women to join them. Business was minimal to start with, as they did not have enough funds for investment and buyers would not pay in advance. However, five years ago, things changed. The Srinivasan Services Trust stepped in and helped the couple form a Self Help Group christened ‘Gandhi’. The SHG took loans from banks for inputs and a vehicle to carry the huge structures.

Dhanalakshmi, who gained confidence as she led ‘Gandhi’ group, became a good communicator. She, along with other SHG members, would go to nearby markets to showcase their products and the business started expanding by word of mouth. Today, Ashok and Dhanalakshmi get orders from across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring States. They are earning a substantial income for themselves and providing a livelihood to financially poor women in neighbouring villages. The duo has trained many women who are also earning from the skill.

The technique is painstaking. It takes just about half an hour for Ashok to draw the sketch with chalk on the ‘canvas’. In this case it is a cemented compound. He uses bamboo sticks to create a frame that matches the drawing, which is then painted in different colours. The whole process takes about half a day to complete. Once it is given a proper shape, women working in the venture take over. They adorn the pictorial bamboo design structure ordered by the client with tiny bulbs fitted on coils of wiring. Soon the product is complete.

Ashok may be unlettered, but he is able to handle the laptop and make use of innovative designs that their 21-year-old daughter, studying computer engineering in Nazareth, sends him on mail. Though Ashok is aware of the competition Chinese serial lights hold for Indian businesses, he is confident it won’t impact his earning. He, however, is open to incorporating the designs and colours of Chinese serial bulb settings that many people use to illuminate their homes during Diwali and other festivals. “The Chinese make ‘use and throw types’, mine are a bit more expensive but more long lasting as the wiring I use is solid,” claims Ashok.

Dhanalakshmi, who is more of an extrovert compared to her shy husband, has become adept at handling marketing. She helps to get orders for work the year round as their lights are in demand during festivals, political rallies and other such events in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra. Today, over 30 women from neighbouring villages work with them. While those involved in fitting serial bulbs are paid daily wages, other women receive wages according to the size and design of the structure they fix hundreds of tiny serial bulbs on. The payment ranges from ₹200 to ₹500.

Manimekalai is one of the women involved in this work. Holding an expensive smartphone in her hand, she tells us that sometimes she can earn as much as ₹14,000 a month. “Many a time I am able to earn much more than my husband who works as a salesperson in a sweetmeat shop.” Both her children study in a private school.

On average, most of the women earn ₹7,000-8,000 per month. During festivals, they get a lot of orders and can earn as much as ₹600 a day. All the women are looking forward to Diwali when they hope to earn more and illumine their lives as well as their homes.

The writer is a senior journalist based in Delhi

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