About Us
Chunari was born out of a passion to bring Switzerland (my adopted country) closer to India (my home country).
A doctor by training, I am originally from India, I have been a trailing spouse to my banker husband and a stay at home mom to two lovely girls. I have been living in Switzerland for the last 13 years and while being involved with bringing up my children and managing our family, I developed a passion for photography and also Indian textiles and art forms.
I found a dearth and even complete absence of things I missed from back home over here. And what I found was far and few and expensive. Friends clamoured around me asking me to bring back things on my trips to India and always complimented my choice.
Chunari was born out of the passion of introducing the amazing diversity and dexterity of the artisans in India! I have developed an avid interest in our culture and heritage and the amazing workmanship of our crafters alongside this new found passion.
I have developed a keen interest in reading about different types of art forms, textiles, weaves, paintings etc. from different states. The variety, diversity, scope is mind boggling.
CHUNARI is our brand name. It means Dupatta, Chunari, Chunariya, Orhni, or Odhani, a shawl-like scarf, women’s traditionally essential clothing from the Indian subcontinent. The word dupatta, originally from Sanskrit (the liturgial language of Hinduism) is a combination of du- (meaning double or twined) and patta (meaning strip of cloth),i. e., scarf usually doubled over the head.
Dupatta is worn in many regional styles across the Indian subcontinent. Originally, it was worn as a symbol of modesty. While that symbolism still continues, many today wear it as just a decorative accessory. There is no single way of wearing the dupatta, and as time evolves and fashion modernizes, the style of the dupatta has also evolved.
Just like the versatility of the dupatta, our brand endeavors to showcase the versatility, dexterity and diversity of the artisans and craftsman from the Indian sub-continent.
Over the years, I have developed bonds with weavers, artisans, suppliers back home, whom I trust and who are doing their very best to keep this rich tradition alive. With this vast repertoire of artisans, I undertake bookings for custom made orders for certain products, which are genuine and authentic. Do get in touch for more details.
Chunari works with grassroots artisans and NGOs in India. We keep our products authentic and true to the real art from. We also help out with some NGOs and charities both in Europe or India. We are not a Non Profit organisation, but our profits are not huge, as we believe, that it is ultimately the artist who should benefit!
Shipping Charges
Our shipping charges are based on the cart and for orders over 100 Chf, shipping is free within Switzerland and France.
Eco friendly
We source eco friendly, sustainable products that are handmade, with minimal carbon foot prints.
Ethically sourced
We work with grassroots artisans and try to keep our products authentic to the real art from. We believe that it is ultimately the artist who should benefit from this.
Secure Payments
We use secure payment gateways for processing orders and ensure your data is well protected.
