Deaf-mute couple sell handmade art and crafts at Pune Municipal Corporation exhibition

Stalls selling a wide variety of goods are set up at an exhibition organised by the Pune Municipal Corporation at Balgandharva Rangmandir in Pune. Buyers throng the aisles and sellers rush about with their wares. Amid the din, one stall stands apart. Conversation here is not in words; feelings are conveyed through gestures of the hands.

The stall belongs to a deaf-mute couple, who have made a name for themselves through artefacts made with their own hands.

Sheetal Kawathekar, a resident of Ambegaon Budruk, has been making handicrafts and a range of decorative items for 11 years. She makes and sells her goods under the name "Vishwa Exclusive Art Gallery". Her husband works alongside her. Neither can hear or speak, yet they did not let this stand in the way of their art and built a business of their own.

Their stall has many handmade items. These include attractive nameplates, key holders, fridge magnets, ring platters, Ganpati decoration items, Diwali diyas and traditional rangoli decoration items. She also hand-paints jute bags to make them attractive.

Customers can state their preferences, and custom designs are made to order in the colour, size and theme they want. The couple also take special orders for weddings, corporate gifts and festivals.

The couple's confidence is evident as they show customers their goods, understand what they want and talk to each other in sign language. Their ingenuity, hard work and fine detail show in every piece. They have no words to speak with, but every artefact says something.

Standing quietly in a world of sound and building a name through their work, the couple are a true example of courage and self-reliance.

The items available at Sheetal Kawathekar's stall are: nameplates in designs of the customer's choice, decorative key holders, fridge magnets and sticky notes, ring platter designs, Ganpati decoration items, decorative Diwali diyas, traditional rangoli decoration items, hand-painted jute bags, special wedding gifts, corporate gifts and gifts made to order, and special art pieces made in the colour, size and theme the customer wants.