Mangaluru: The housewives find abundant time but most of them stick to the television serials always. They justify that utilising this excess time is always a big headache and watching television serials is just for time pass. But, here is a woman who chose to pursue her hobby of making artificial jewellery in the ‘time pass’ period and it became a small source of income for her.
Mamatha Ashok, a resident of Marnamikatta, was very much interested in crafts and drawing from her school days. However, she disconnected from her hobby after entering college. After her marriage with Ashok Kumar, who is working abroad, she found abundant time even after her daily chores. Thus, her passion for craft work and drawing cropped up again. She accessed the YouTube and studied the tips on artificial jewellery making. Then started making artificial jewellery using silk thread, beads among others.
Mamatha is like ‘Ekalavya’ as she has studied the skill of jewellery making on her own. “If there is any teacher for me, it is YouTube only”, says Mamatha. “My younger sister Suchetha had taught me some basics of quilling paper art which she learnt during her school days and I decided improve the same with research. Again, I went for YouTube. Later, I started preparing them and achieved success”, Mamatha says.
Mamatha rejuvenated her hobbies just for time pass. But, now it is generating income for her. She purchases beads, silk and other items from the shops and prepares artificial ornaments like necklace, earrings, chains, bangles among others. If she has to spend around Rs 250 or Rs 300 for an artificial necklace, she sells it for Rs 500. From the other ornaments like earrings, chains, bangles among others, she is earning about 40 percent profit.
“As there is no big market for artificial jewellery these days, I used to give it to my relatives and friends. The people who know me asks order artificial jewellery by showing some designs. I prepare the same as per their wish. I don’t want to do it for income alone. It relaxes me from stress and it gives me self-satisfaction”, Mamatha adds.
A BA graduate, Mamatha also gives tuitions to primary school students. “One should not sit idle but should always engage in one or the other activity”, she says. Mamatha has two kids Bindya and Aradhya. While Bindya is studying in the fifth standard, Aradhya is in UKG.
Her relative Kishori Sampath say, Mamatha is a multi-talented woman. “Those who are simply wasting their time on television serials can consider her a role model”, she says.
