KHAMMAM: For pilgrims seeking purity at the Sri Sita Ramachandraswamy temple in Bhadrachalam, a new ritual is emerging: picking up organic soaps and shampoos made by tribal women. The secret of their success lies not just in faith, but in the superior quality of their aloe vera products, which have built such a loyal following that devotees now order them through courier across the state.
Once daily wage labourers, 11 tribal women from Dummagudem mandal have turned entrepreneurs, setting up a stall inside the temple premises under the brand name Giri. Their organic soaps and shampoos are also supplied to the Girijan Co-operative Corporation (GCC) in Bhadrachalam. “After using our products, devotees keep ordering again and again,” Punem Vijayalakshmi, one of the group members, tells TNIE.
Each shampoo bottle (100 ml) is priced at Rs 32.50 and each soap (100 gm) at Rs 31. Together, the group has built an annual turnover that runs into several lakhs. Currently, they produce about 1.5 lakh bottles of shampoo and 20,000 soaps a year.
Trained in Hyderabad
The women were trained in soap and shampoo making during a three-month programme at Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, and began production in 2019 at the GCC premises in Bhadrachalam. Their venture received support through a 60% subsidy from Tricor, 30% beneficiary contribution and the rest via bank loan.
“We were once agricultural labourers, struggling to make ends meet. Today, we live with dignity like other entrepreneurs,” says one of the women. They credited ITDA project officer B Rahul for his encouragement.
“The ITDA is promoting tribal entrepreneurship by providing all necessary facilities,” Rahul tells TNIE.