Indian Yards

In a quaint mountain hamlet in South India, women from an indigenous community get together to knot, creating something unique almost each day using 100% cotton yarn. Something they do with a lot of love & reverence. Something that has empowered them towards a better living. Something that has held their household together. After finishing off their household chores, they sit down to knot or stitch or sew their way into some stunning craft pieces. The satisfaction that they derive from making something from start to finish with just their bare hands doesn’t have a match. Each of the craft forms they engage with are ancient hand-art forms practiced for centuries and are known for their therapeutic effect on the practitioners. For these women, it isn’t just a craft but a means to their livelihood, to their pride. We were typical urbanites living in the cities chasing the corporate dream. In 2017, we decided we have had enough of that life. We quit our jobs and our Son was already going through an unschooling journey. In 2018, we moved to The Nilgiris in search of a better quality of life. After spending over a year in the interiors of Nilgiris, in the forest, among the indigenous people, we realised that the women of these communities need serious help. Indian Yards was born out of this necessity. Indian Yards is a non-profit social enterprise nestled in the mountains of The Nilgiris, empowering women from rural & indigenous communities towards their socio-economic wellbeing. We upskill these women to become fine first generation artisans and subsequently enable them to produce from their respective homes. The objective is to help these women secure their place in the economic mainstream whilst facilitating women from similar walks of life or communities to come together, learn, share & flourish. This is a means to provide these women a collective strength through the process of handcrafting.