Tharangini Studio: Tradition, Color, and Craft—Sustainably Made

Tucked away in Bangalore, Tharangini Studios has been quietly making magic with natural dyes, organic ink and wooden blocks since the 1970s. Started by Lakshmi Srivathsa and now run by her daughter, Padmini Govind, it's the city's oldest block printing studio—still family-run, proudly women-owned, and centered around skilled women artisans.

Sustainability isn't a trend here—it's a way of working. Tharangini is ISO 26000 certified, but more than that, it lives the values: low-waste production, safe materials, and responsible practices. It's also one of the rare places in India that uses organic inks that are GOTS certified. These are mixed by hand but last less than a week and have to remix every 5-6 days.

The pigments are expensive but give beautiful vibrant color, and don't use chemical softeners. Because the fabric is not processed with chemicals, it may feel a little stiff at first—but it softens with wear and washing into something uniquely textured and completely natural.

Every piece is printed by hand with painstaking care. Wooden blocks—each one carved with detailed patterns—are dipped into color and stamped onto fabric, one layer at a time. The process is slow, but that's part of the beauty. Each piece has tiny variations, reminding you it was made by a real person, not a machine.

And speaking of people: the color team is all women, including Bhanuamma, who has been at Tharangini for more than 30 years. Their experience and sharp eyes keep the colors vibrant and true. (Fun fact: research shows women actually are better at distinguishing color.) Yashodara, who learned color mixing from Bhanuamma, says, "I enjoy working on different projects and meeting new people. I was a homemaker before this—I started from scratch, and it was hard at first. But now I'm confident in what I do."

Pictured above Banu, Shama, and Yashodara at Tharangini Studios

Tharangini Studios is a place where heritage and modern values meet. Where sustainability isn't a buzzword, but a daily practice. And where women lead the way.

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