Behind the scenes in Varanasi: Our visit to the Gratitude Factory
As many of you already know, all ShaktiMats are produced in our Gratitude Factory in Varanasi, India. There are 82 women, our colleagues, who carry out every step of the production of a ShaktiMat by hand.
When we asked our colleagues some time ago what else we might do for them, they replied, "Please come visit us more."
Of course, we didn't let them tell us twice. After all, this is also a gesture of respect that they deserve. So this time we even brought along a whole team of photographers and cameramen and an Indian journalist and translator to interview the women and write down their very personal stories.
It gave us immense pleasure to see how happy this made our female colleagues. It is also a sign of respect that their hard work is valued and their opinions and ideas are heard.
We would like to share our impressions from Varanasi with you in this blog post. So that you can feel where the magic of your ShaktiMat comes from and who has held it in their hands before you.
A warm welcome
The reception was very warm. We were welcomed by the women with open arms and could visibly feel how happy they were that we came to visit.
*The two ShaktiMat Co-Founders Jon (ShaktiMat New Zealand) and Glynn (ShaktiMat Germany).
*Local Brahmins who also perform morning prayers at the Factory. Here they bless our Co-Founder Glynn Ryland.
Nevertheless, we do not want to deny the fact that women were quite shy in our society in the beginning. No wonder, all of a sudden these people from the West come with all the cameras and want to ask them questions. Of course, we were prepared for this and gave the women all the time they needed to get used to us, the new situation and the cameras.
After our three days together, we had a very warm and joyful last day of shooting. The women visibly thawed out and started to relax in front of the cameras. They especially made a lot of jokes about how they would now feel like Bollywood stars.
Our way to Utah Pradesh
Just getting to the Gratitude Factory is unique: you see cows on the roads, there is constant honking, and the traffic is almost certainly more chaotic than in other parts of India. The more kilometers we covered, the quieter it became and we arrived at our destination: Narrotam Pur, a place in Utah Pradesh where ShaktiMat's Gratitude Factory is located.
The first thing we noticed when we entered the Gratitude Factory was a very special kind of serenity and calm. Of course, we can only speculate about what this might be related to. The fact that the Factory is consecrated as a temple almost certainly contributes. But the main reason is the energy of the women, with which the Factory is filled by their daily work and presence. There is just something special in the air that is hard to put into words. The rooms are pleasantly cool and a bit darker than outside in the blazing sunlight.
A very special atmosphere is in the air
There are currently 82 women working at Gratitude Factory in Varanasi - they are all our colleagues. If you watch them working, they actually work just like we probably all do. They talk, sometimes smile, and you can feel that they really enjoy spending time together. What makes this so special? Their every action exudes a certain friendliness and politeness. Everything here happens in a very relaxed setting, so there's a certain reverence in the room.
This is how a day at Gratitude Factory begins
The working day begins with the women arriving at the Factory, finding a place and getting ready for the daily morning prayer, which is called Puja in India. Then one of our Factory managers, affectionately called Auntie Amma-Ji by the women, comes and prepares the altar for the morning prayer. This all takes place in the first 30 minutes of their already paid work time, approximately 9:30 - 10:00.
*Manager and "aunt" Amma-Ji leads the morning puja
We were very impressed by the devotion of the women during the morning prayer. They were all focused and attentive for the entire duration of the puja. Within this prayer they bless the work site, the mats and their common community.
Immediately after the prayer comes something called prasad. Here, each of the women is given a raisin to eat as a sign of the offering. Only then does the real work begin for the women.
*The women took touching care of Anniki, our producer and cinematographer
*Also Anniki, our producer, needed a short break
Every woman has her task
The tasks of our female colleagues are distributed differently. Each of them is assigned to one of the production steps - from sewing to hole punching to the quality check of the mats.
The women have the opportunity to switch between these production steps from day to day. They can therefore choose what they would like to do. Over time, we have noticed that many of them, however, prefer to stay with one job and not switch all the time.
A small percentage of the Factory is missing each day because we offer women the opportunity to take unlimited time off. This can help especially for family celebrations or religious holidays. After all, in India it is good manners for women to take part in such holidays. It is important for their position in society. If one of the women takes time off on such a day, she continues to be paid.
About 6-8 women are usually assigned to the kitchen and prepare a fresh, vegetarian lunch for the 82 women every day.
It gets colorful and loud during the lunch break
The lunch break was very exciting for all of us to watch. It takes a lot of patience to serve 82 women, because it takes an incredible amount of time until the last one gets her dish. The best part is: Only when the last woman has her plate in front of her, do all the women start eating together.
Then it becomes quite colorful and loud, because the women laugh together, they tell each other stories from their everyday lives and eat from each other's plates. This was incredibly beautiful for our crew to watch, because these are moments in which we could particularly feel the cohesion of the women.
Many women in India are still disadvantaged
Like many of you, we also knew in advance that women from rural areas of India are unfortunately allowed to lead a much less self-determined life than we are here in Germany. Nevertheless, it is sometimes difficult for us to understand how far-reaching this understanding is.
For example, some of the women told us in the interviews that they first had to ask their brothers or their husbands for permission before they were allowed to work here. Some of them give their entire salary to their parents or husbands, who then manage it. If the women want to access it, for example to go shopping, they have to ask permission again.
The fact that they earn their own money nevertheless gives them a very special position within the family. Without this income, many of the women would be tied to domestic duties that involve, for example, having children, cleaning and cooking. Many would not even be allowed to leave the house.
*Our female crew, Ruhani and Anniki, at work.
From many of the interviews (which you can read here, by the way) we could see that some of the women are very happy about this special position in the family.
It quickly became clear to us that the amount of pay is not the biggest motivation for the women to come here in the morning. Rather, it is the community of women, which many in our interviews said felt like a second home to them. Above all, that seems to be what women associate with ShaktiMat and the Gratitude Factory.
Watching the women at work like this, you realize how much they reach out to each other, give advice and share their knowledge.
The Caste System in India
Normally, all people in India are equal - at least if you follow the law. However, the reality is different. People are classified into different castes based on religion. Belonging to a caste then determines how someone is regarded in society and what opportunities are open to him or her in life. You can read more about the Indian caste system here.
Many of the women mentioned in their interviews how much they enjoy the fact that they are all equal here and no distinctions are made based on caste or religion.
For example, Geeta Devi confided in us:
"I feel like I belong here. The people are warm, helpful and then there is the wonderful work we do here. I feel very connected to this place, it feels like my real home. ... We all come from different castes and believe in different religions, yet we are all treated equally. There is no discrimination against each other."
Read Geeta's full interview here.
Why only women work at the Gratitude Factory
It is still difficult for women - especially in rural areas of India - to find permanent employment. We want to stand up for these women and give them the chance to build something sustainable for themselves and their families.
During our visit, however, we realized that we underestimated what it means for our colleagues that only women work at Gratitude Factory. It is so much more than just the pure community aspect.
For many of the women, this is the exclusive reason why they are allowed to come here at all every day. If there were other men sitting here between them, then the majority of the women would not be allowed to come here.
How a job can help you escape an arranged marriage
In many parts of India, unfortunately, it is still common for weddings to be arranged. Indeed, the women are usually married quite young.
In our interviews, we noticed that many of the women - especially young ones - are very proud of having had the opportunity to opt out of an arranged marriage.
The fact that they are in a permanent job and earning their own money has given them the opportunity to decide that on their own and just say "no" to their parents. Without a permanent job, that certainly wouldn't have been possible.
How the day ends
As the day draws to a close, women call it a day at different times. Depending on what obligations they still have to fulfill at home or elsewhere. They don't have to ask anyone or sign out anywhere. They can leave the factory just like that.
It is not uncommon for one or more of the other women to finish the remaining work for the woman who has to leave the Gratitude Factory. The women settle this among themselves.
What we value most
One of the most beautiful memories we take away from Gratitude Factory is above all the gratitude with which we were met by our colleagues. They welcomed us with warmth and made us feel part of the ShaktiMat family in Varanasi.
This gratitude was especially noticeable when they talked about additional benefits such as the ShaktiMat Healthcare Funds or the scholarship program for their daughters. This showed us that these initiatives, which we have built up over the last few years, contribute a lot to our colleagues appreciating and enjoying their work at Gratitude.
In all the interviews we conducted, the women mentioned how incredibly happy they were to have come to this path and that they never wanted to leave it.
Why we share this with you in such detail?
Our female colleagues from Varanasi are firmly anchored in our ShaktiMat philosophy and are one of the main reasons why we wake up in the morning and throw ourselves into our work full of motivation. We want to do everything we can to ensure that they are allowed to lead a self-determined and financially independent life.
We would like to transport this feeling to you. When you buy a ShaktiMat, you are not only buying the possibility to relieve your pain and bring more relaxation into your everyday life. You are also contributing to an important project that gives women from an unfortunately still disadvantaged part of the world the opportunity to lead a happier and more self-confident life.
This gratitude and energy radiates every ShaktiMat - we have absolutely no doubt!
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. We would be delighted if you would like to find out more about the ShaktiMat or if you have any further questions. You can simply contact us on Facebook, Instagram or by email at [email protected] and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have!
Shakti On! 🌵🌵🌵
About the author
Karina Schönberger
Karina has been practicing yoga and meditation regularly for many years and owes her creativity in her everyday work to this practice. She studied something to do with media, tried her hand at marketing, events and PR and finally decided to work for herself. Today she is part of our TeamShakti and writes content for you to inspire you to live your life more consciously and happily.