The following post is Part II of our series: “Meet the Makers” tracking the production process of Avani’s indigo from seed to scarf. For more information about the series and an introduction to the Avani blog, see our first post.
One of Avani's oldest employees, Hari-Da (in India, 'Da’ is added to some names as a sign of respect) begins work well before 7:00am every morning. Hari-Da has been working at Avani for 5 years, mostly in the indigo dyeing process, which includes processing, fermenting, and oxidizing the indigo plants collected from farms to convert them into dye pigments. When asked what he likes most about his work, he simply smiled and answered that he like "all the different parts about his job." He says that he tries to put his whole heart into everything he does. Hari-Da is very reserved, but has a brilliant smile. He has three children, and is very proud of his eldest daughter who works as a science teacher in Bangalore.
Check back tomorrow for Part III: The Dyer.