From the outside, the frontage and the sign board hardly tell you what this building holds. This quaint old landmark on Anna Salai, the Mount Road Khadi Gramodhyog Bhavan (KGB), perhaps the grandmother of supermarkets and home delivery apps, sells items sourced from weavers, artisans, Sarvodaya Sangams, cooperative societies and self-help groups.
The G+1 structure, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister K. Kamaraj in October 1957, is home to a countless number of items — there would be a thousand items at the provisions section alone, says a staff member.
“Kholapuri chappals are my favourite for any function and the Khadi Bhavan is my only destination for them. My mother picks up eucalyptus oil, soaps, agarbatti and butter from there,” says G. Ramakrishnan, a resident of Besant Nagar.
A humble beginning
The KGB, which started out as a small room catering to the needs of artisans and Sarvodaya Sanghs in Tamil Nadu, has grown to bring Minister White khadi cloth from West Bengal, printed silks from the north, white metal handicrafts from Jodhpur, gun metal from Hyderabad, butter from Uthukuli, silk saris from Kottakadu Palayam and Gandhigram saris from Dindigul and sandalwood from the Forest Department of various States.
“At one point, the Gandhigram saris, which are long-lasting with a unique weave, were very popular. Now, only people who know their value buy them,” says a sales person at the counter.
KGB has 10 counters for handicrafts alone and of them, the golu dolls made of fired clay take the cake. “We used to sell them door to door at one point of time. But, for at least 35 years, we have had an annual golu doll exhibition,” says another staff member. The shop has dolls throughout the year.
Jagadeeswaran, a doll-maker from Saidapet, says he has been supplying dolls to KGB from 1990. “They always ask for a discount on the price since they would like to offer the best price to their customers. Their prices are lower than in Mylapore and West Mambalam. They ensure quality and carefully pack the dolls. They pay artisans well and on time, just like Poompuhar,” he says.
Staff training
KGB secretary G. Elangovan says their task does not stop with stocking up on the items. “Our sales personnel are taught the history of each product and how they can be used.” The charming counters and glass and wood shelves have remained the same over the years, adding an old world charm to the shop where time seems to have moved at its own pace. It has also embraced change: it has an air-conditioned section and card and digital wallet payment options.
At its other outlet at Gopalapuram, two units function, one manufacturing silk cotton beds and the other a tailoring unit where shirts, kaftans, and kurtas.
The KGB had an outlet at Indira Nagar on Lattice Bridge Road but it was closed for the Metro Rail project. The KGB hopes it would get a shop allotted near the same location after the project was completed.
Mobile delivery
In the 1980s, the KGB offered mobile shopping. “We had 10 motorised tricycles that had red-coloured aluminium boxes filled with basic provisions. But after the government banned motorised tricycles, we pulled them out,” recalls a staff member.
“We used to live in the Central government quarters at Indira Nagar and one day, one of these vehicles came to our area. They had provisions, including butter, oils, dals, butter biscuits, and colour ‘vadam’, which the children liked. The quality of the items was good. It was very convenient for our family since only small kirana shops would function here and there near our home. The KGB vehicle used to bring oils too and we would tell the man in advance what we needed the next time he comes. The vehicle, with its pleasant odour of a mix of oil, biscuits, and dals, used to be a welcome visitor at our home. The children would crowd around it,” recalls N. Vasantha, who still vouches for many items, including beds, cotton towels for bathing, cushions filled with vettiver, herbal powders, and a short Sarvodya agarbatti.
The KGB is not in competition with any other organisation, says Mr. Elangovan. “We ensure the quality of goods we sell. We always serve our customers with a smile and try to be as helpful as possible. And we never falter in our duty towards artisans, weavers, farmers, and small women groups in villages.”
The shop is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. With a subsidy from the Centre, a year-long discount of 25% is offered on the products from Tamil Nadu and 20% on those from other States.
