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Sustainable Essentials

Homemade snacks, pickles, beauty products and Pottery:

In the middle of the city amidst the urban chaos and modernity, there exists a local market – “Ragi Kana”. More than just a marketplace, Ragi Kana is a volunteer-driven Sunday Santhe, a vibrant hub where rural artisans and farmers converge to showcase their handmade products, bridging the gap between rural craftsmanship and urban consumers. At Ragi Kana, one can experience the essence of traditional Karnataka lifestyle, from the colorful array of khadi clothing to the enticing display of locally produced snacks and groceries. It is not just a market but an effort for conscious living, sustainability and rural development. Here, visitors can engage in workshops, cultural programs and enlightening talks about environmental conservation and rural livelihoods.

One of the most captivating aspects of Ragi Kana is its food stalls, where homemade snacks like Nippattu, Chakli, Sajjappa, and Kajjaya tantalize the taste buds of visitors. These snacks are not just culinary delights but also bear rich cultural and historical significance.

Take, for instance, Nippattu, a crispy delicacy crafted from a seasoned rice batter, fried to perfection until it attains a golden brown hue. With its blend of nutty, spicy, and tangy flavors, Nippattu embodies the culinary heritage of Karnataka, passed down through generations.

Similarly, Chakli, another beloved snack, holds a venerable place in Indian culinary traditions. Made from a meticulous combination of rice flour, lentils, and aromatic spices, Chakli is a crispy, spiral-shaped delight that has been relished during festivals and special occasions for centuries.

Sajjappa, with its crispy outer layer and delectable coconut filling, is a sweet indulgence that speaks volumes about Karnataka's rich dessert culture. Made with rice flour, coconut, and jaggery, Sajjappa is a testament to the artistry and creativity of Karnataka's culinary artisans.

Lastly, Kajjaya, or adhirasam, is a sweet treat steeped in tradition and nostalgia. Prepared with rice, jaggery, and a secret family recipe passed down through generations, Kajjaya is not just a snack but a cherished link to ancestral roots and cultural heritage.

During futher exploration, we stumbled upon Layka Skin Care, a small scale business dedicated to promoting and distributing organic skincare solutions. The business is managed by Preethu Naveen, alongside her supportive mother, who actively participates in the production process. Their shop offered meticulously crafted items, ranging from nourishing soaps and rejuvenating lip balms to invigorating face gels and luxurious hair oils. Their inventory also boasts an assortment of masks and shampoo bars, each formulated with a commitment to harnessing the power of natural ingredients.

In our conversation with Preethu, she emphasized Layka Skin Care's steadfast dedication to handcrafting each product with care and precision, utilizing only the finest natural ingredients. This meticulous approach not only ensures the purity and efficacy of their creations but also resonates deeply with environmentally conscious consumers seeking sustainable skincare solutions.

One particularly noteworthy aspect of Layka Skin Care's business model is its openness to custom orders. By welcoming personalized requests, Preethu and her team not only foster a deeper connection with their clientele but also streamline their inventory management processes. This adaptive strategy minimizes the risk of product waste or spoilage over time, reflecting Layka Skin Care's commitment to operational efficiency without compromising on quality or integrity.

Arundhati met Mr Saju who sold pickles and other products that were all homemade. He has been selling products at Ragi Kana for quite a long time now. He is originally from Kerala. He started this mission as a part of his independent research on how to preserve agricultural products. He talks about how organic food products are available only to the upper class and the upper middle class of the society. His aim is to create for the majority. He ensures to use natural preservatives and colours in the food that he makes. These include turmeric, salt, vinegar, beetroot juice, etc. He collects salted fruits and vegetables from the rural areas of Mangalore to make the pickles.

There is a huge difference between local markets such as Ragi Kana and huge shopping complexes in terms of seller customer interaction. In his shop, the customers have casual conversations with him, get to know about the origin of the product and to listen to his stories of experimentation. He also has regular customers with whom he maintains a connection which is greater than a customer seller relationship. Here, he is part of a community and the engagement is very different from that of a typical urban supermarket.

Ragi Kana is basically trying to bridge the gap between rural products and urban consumers. They also organize talks about sustainability, rural development, workshops, cultural programs etc. When visiting Ragi Kana, Nandana personally had an experience of interviewing a lady called Smita, who was selling pottery, baskets, homemade pickles and handlooms. The pottery she was selling was brought from Sullia, which was made by a community called Kumbhara. It is a generational craftsmanship, where there were forty families earlier, which now got reduced to four families. It is completely made through a manual process, like it is heated with a stick to make it hard and they use river pebbles to make it more shiny. Out of curiosity Nandana asked how she got to this idea of selling pottery, to which she answered that, earlier she used to buy pottery from urban areas and after cooking a particular dish, the stinky smell of oil retained even after washing and she felt disgusted. Thus she came to know about the pottery community at Sullia and gave it a try, and thus ended up in selling pottery. The baskets which she was selling were made by a tribal community called Koraga. All the wines used to make this basket were from the forest and it is called Illuballi which means house wines. There are different types of wild wines, where it itself stores water inside which is drinkable. Handloom was the other thing which she had, where she brought it from the hands of the weavers and was designed by herself and some other women from the city spaces. Through this she provides an opportunity of a job for the urban housewives, where they are open to their creativity, and will get paid per piece. Smita is also planning for a community setting soon, where all these women can come together at one place and work, where the main aim is to give them a social exposure.

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