Ashta Saheli is a clothing library that is run by a group of eight friends. The library features Silk sarees, Banarasi sarees, Kanjeevaram sarees, and georgette sarees available for rent. Hema, the founder, mentions that they also organize free sales events, where they give away items like sarees, bags, jewellery, and shoes.
Vadodara: Weddings and family events call for dressing up beautifully and flaunting your statement pieces. However, some people prefer not to spend extravagantly on clothes and seek to fulfil their desires within a budget. If you are one of those people, then Ashta Saheli is just the right place for you. Ashta Saheli is a clothing library that is run by a group of eight friends. The library features Silk sarees, Banarasi sarees, Kanjeevaram sarees, and georgette sarees available for rent. Let’s find out what was the inspiration behind this initiative.
The founder of the library
Hema Chauhan is the founder of Ashta Saheli. She runs the library along with her seven friends, Neela Shah, Rita Vithalani, Parul Parekh, Sadhana Shah, Gopi Patel, Neelima Shah, and Twinkle Patel, in Vadodara, Gujarat. These women create a catalogue of donated clothes and provide them to people who cannot afford to purchase expensive clothing or people who prefer not to overspend.
The inspiration
Hema shares an instance from four years ago, when her house help wanted to attend a wedding but lacked good clothes and couldn’t afford new ones. Hema generously lent her clothes to help her out, and this gesture brought immense joy to the house help. This prompted the idea of making good quality clothing available to people on rent. She discussed the idea with her friends, and they collectively decided to start a library by donating five of their own clothes each. The official inauguration of the library took place in October 2021.
Types of sarees
Hema mentions that her library has a collection of over 1000 sarees including Kanjivaram, Banarasi, Bandhani, silk, chiffon, georgette, and more. The collection also includes Sharara suits, Palazzo suits, and Anarkali lehengas. The founder shares that people from far and wide donate their clothes to the library.
The deposit fee
Hema shares that a token deposit of Rs 500 is required when renting out a saree. This deposit helps cover the dry cleaning and maintenance costs. Furthermore, with this deposit, the customers can rent up to three sarees for five days at a very nominal price. The library opens at 3 in the afternoon and closes at 6 in the evening. The friends work in shifts for two days a week.
Free sale events
Right after the launch, the Ashta Saheli gained popularity, and people from across the country began donating clothes. Hema mentions that they also organize free sales events, where they give away items like sarees, bags, jewellery, and shoes. The items are given away for free on a first come first serve basis.
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