“For the first few years of my life, I only cared about playing with friends. But when I entered my teenage years, I started to understand the financial problem of my family. I had to take up the responsibility of earning some money. So I continued the ancestral profession of making baskets and other show pieces. This wood is called Eatha Baruku in the local language. Instead of selling it in our hometown, Nagarkurnool, I packed and took it to different places in Telangana.

Initially, people didn’t know much about the quality of these baskets, but now, it’s popular. Today, customers also understand that buying directly from us helps us earn a living, while saving the dying art forms. We sell these baskets in bright colours and motifs. The demand is great, though our margin is minimal. I’m one of the first person’s to bring this artform outside our hometown and sell it. I feel happy and blessed that we are able to sustain in a big city like Hyderabad.”

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