Athulya Handmade Paper Unit

Being up here in Munnar at the Srishti Complex, the air is usually pretty nice, which helps when you're working with paper all day. Athulya Handmade Paper Unit is tucked away near the Tata Tea area in Atanni. It's a bit of a trek for some, but we like being out here. We spend a lot of time actually getting our hands dirty with the pulp and the frames. It’s physical work, and your hands are usually wet or covered in fiber. We don't have big automated machines doing everything; it’s mostly just us and the drying racks. Sometimes the weather affects how fast the paper dries, which can be annoying when we have a lot to get through. The staff here mostly lives nearby, so it’s a local crowd. We’ve got stacks of different papers everywhere you look. It's not exactly a tidy office, but it's a workshop where stuff actually gets made. People sometimes stop by to see how it’s done, and we just keep working. We aren't trying to be the biggest operation around, just trying to make enough paper to keep the lights on and the orders filled. It’s quiet work for the most part, aside from the sound of water and the occasional chatter among the workers. We just take it day by day and try to make sure the quality is okay before it goes out the door.