Bellaura Craft

We set up shop in Alankuppam, near Isai Ambalam in the Auroville area. It’s a pretty quiet spot compared to the nearby towns, and that suits us just fine for the kind of work we do. At Bellaura Craft, we spend most of our time making things by hand. Our workspace is usually a bit of a mess with materials spread out everywhere, but we know exactly where everything is. It’s a small operation, mostly just a few of us who have lived in this area for years. We don’t have a big fancy showroom or a team of salespeople. People usually find us through word of mouth or by just stumbling across our workshop while they are exploring Auroville. The work can be slow because we don't use a lot of big machinery, relying instead on old-fashioned techniques that take time to get right. Sometimes the monsoon rain makes it hard to get things dry or finished on schedule, so we just have to be patient. We enjoy the process of seeing something take shape from scratch. Our days are pretty simple; we show up, have some tea, and get to work on whatever project is currently on the bench. It’s a good way to live, being surrounded by trees and away from the noise of the city. We aren't trying to become a huge company; we just want to keep making things we like and earning enough to keep the doors open and the lights on.