Gentle sun rays stream in as soft music plays on the radio, the rustle of the newspaper blend with the aroma of tea leaves brewing in a vessel, spreading warmth through the corner tea shop. This informal setting serves as a space to discuss and make decisions, too. Many business ideas are formed and wound up in many tea corners of the city.
One such decision for their livelihood was made by C Enku Sha and his three friends over a cutting chai. “My grandfather and his friends acquired the skills of temple umbrella-making from a vendor in the neighbourhood and started a business together,” begins CK Kumar, a temple umbrella maker.
Enku Sha, started this business in the 1950s at his home in Iyya Mudali Street, Chintadripet. Back then, not many preferred to rent or own a shop. From storing raw materials to finished goods, each step in the process unfolded on the street, verandah, or living room. Enku Sha cycled to Vyasarpadi, Moolakadai, and Parrys to purchase bamboo sticks, silk, cotton material, threads and needles. The bamboo sticks are then cut, polished, soaked in water for two to three months, and dried under the sun. The silk and cotton cloth wreath the bamboo as a crown in beautiful intricate designs — which were then hand embroidered.
A family affair
The orders in those days, came three months in advance, and the entire family joined in the making of one umbrella, especially during the festive period such as Panguni Uthiram (March-April), Chitra Pournami (April-May), Sri Rama Navami (April), and celebrations in Andhra Pradesh, because a lot of details go in the making of the festive umbrella. “The women of the house helped with embroidery, stitching and aari work. The men designed, cut and assembled the umbrella parts. With each knot, we weave in our wishes,” explains Kumar.
He helped with his family business in 1986. Born in 1969, he grew up watching his family participate in the production of thoranam (hanging decorations), woolen garlands, silk and cotton “holy cloth” (pavithrams), used to drape the idols, chariots, and cone umbrellas. When he came of age, he began preparing to take his family business forward.
Kumar is a third-generation umbrella maker and he took the entire workload on his shoulders in 1990. This was the time when practices changed. The five friends who started this business together opened shops individually — shops that stocked colourful decorations, miniature temple umbrellas and idol garments. “As the families expanded, they wanted a business under their family’s names. Still, the umbrellas were made in houses,” he adds.
Chithirai month is the busiest one for the vendors as many orders come from Andhra. “They have a festival in the Chithirai month where the deity is taken around as a procession and then immersed in the sea. For the deity to go around in shade, umbrellas are parcelled from Chennai,” shares the businessman.
Looking at the opportunities, twenty more shops opened up on the same street.
The learning phase
Reminiscing his learning days, Kumar says there are two types of bamboo. “There are naar moongil (green bamboo) and kall moongil (stone bamboo). While the latter is easier to work with, green bamboo has a long life. Any umbrella made of green bamboo lasts for 70 years. After which, the stick is brushed and polished, extending its life to 30 more years. We buy 20 to 30 branches. Sometimes, weak or dead canes get mixed in the bulk order and those cannot be used for anything. It is put to waste,” Kumar points out.
The umbrellas’ size starts from three feet to 216 feet in width. The cloth covering the bamboo is demanded in various colours. “At the main Tirupati devasthanam (temple), all the umbrellas are white. At Alamelu Mangapuram, it is red, orange and yellow. At Thiruvannamalai, the deity is Shiva, hence he wishes to be decorated in as many colours as possible,” explains Kumar.
On the cloth sangu (conch shell), chakram (wheel), udukai (two-headed drum), seval (rooster) and namam (a religious mark) are stitched for beautification. “At the end of the crown, strands of clothes are stitched for decoration. We call them jalar. They can be made in cotton — for a long life — and resham silk is used. You can customise it with specific colours. We have something called panjavarnam jalar, which comes in five colours,” Kumar says.
With time, the expectations have also changed. Donors who give these umbrellas to temples change every year. Hence, they want new umbrellas for each festival. “Now, orders are placed a month, a week and, sometimes, a day prior. The donors sometimes compromise on quality as they look for bright colours and grand designs,” complains Kumar. What was done with time, patience and love has come down to name, looks and size.
Beyond borders
Kumar’s son and daughter have joined him in the business. “We are in this business for four generations now and it is nothing but the blessings of the lord that we are continuing and prospering,” he shares. Since Covid, the family purchases logs in the rainy season, soaks them, dries them during the summer and uses them for orders in the same months.
In January 2023, they came together to form a 216 feet umbrella for the Manampathy Thirukkurai Eswarar Temple in Manampathy, a village in Uthiramerur. “That experience brought the whole family together. While boys shaped the bamboo, the ladies stitched the designs. It was like a picnic for us,” shares Rupa, Kumar’s daughter.
Another milestone in this business was machine embroidery. The designs on the umbrella that were previously shaped and stitched are printed out today. This gives the vendors more time to manufacture more products. One such was plywood fans. “The plywood is cut in a circle, covered with velvet cloth and the regular designs are stuck. Additionally, on the corners, vetiver was attached for cooling effect. It is believed that it spreads positive vibes,” he says. The fan was made on special order for a Murugan temple in Malaysia six months ago.
Staying rooted to tradition, the umbrella makers are adapting to modern needs. What started as a small business idea brewed in a tea shop on Iyya Mudali Street, Chintadripet, has now boomed to such an extent that today, the whole street is known for temple umbrella manufacturers, who export their produce internationally. C Enku Sha - CK Kumar, Sri Chakara CN Magesh, SS Temple Works and many other shops function here. Individuals sit on a chair and stitch silk cloth to their bamboo structure. While their hands are calloused, pants are faded, and dust fills their eyes, the vendors make sure that they produce a closely-stitched, bright-coloured cloth, and effort flashes on their products.