Govt Employee in Tamil Nadu Took VRS to Craft Wonders Using Coconut Shells

A man in Tanjore district of Tamilnadu crafts wall hangers accessories and tea cups from coconut shells and sells them worldwide. Kumaraguru (61), a craftsman from Tanjore, lives in a Housing Board housing estate near Tanjore New Bus Stand. He was interested in painting since childhood. That reflected in his academics too. He studied commercial graphics at Kumbakonam Government College of Arts, Thanjavur. His father was working as an inspector in the land surveying department and died suddenly due to ill health. After that, Kumaraguru got his father’s government job. Subsequently, he has been in government service for about 30 years. ​

Getting bored about his job Kumaraguru got the idea of starting his own business. So he took voluntary retirement from government job and is now engaged in handicraft business. He buys coconuts and coconut shells from the markets, cuts them by machine, then polishes the coconut shells, creates flower designs for handicrafts, and makes an artistic products from that. With coconut shells he creates beautiful decorative items like wall hangers and household items such as tea cups, jars, spoons, wallets, key chains and accessories like stud and neck pieces. His products are exported to foreign countries such as Canada, Australia and various parts of India.

He also holds the Central Government Craftsman (Coconut Artifacts) card. It is noteworthy that his artefacts are made entirely of natural materials (coconut shell, stick), and his artefacts have been displayed and sold in the Central and State Government handicrafts exhibitions. These products are sustainable as they are made without any kind of chemical coating. He has also trained 700 people in Kerala and Tamil Nadu through Central and State Governments.

Entrepreneur Kumaraguru says, “This was possible because of his passion for painting since childhood. Initially, when I took voluntary retirement from work and started making handicrafts out of coconut shells, it was not widely accepted. A lot of people gave me negative comments about marketing my product, but my self-confidence and passion pushed me to do this. I have received various awards from central and state governments. And in the coming days, the main aim is to draw portraits and paintings on coconut shells and export them not only to India but also to foreign countries.” leaves to craft his pending wall hanger.