Bindi-making in Ballia rarely looks like an industry from the outside. It happens in homes and small workspaces, where sheets are cut into tiny shapes, pasted carefully onto cards, and finished with stones, beads, pins, or thread. The result is a product that moves through weddings, temple visits, local markets, and exhibition stalls, while quietly supporting a chain of livelihoods driven largely by rural women and steady handwork.One of the people organising this work is Geeta Verma, a resident of Gadwar in Ballia. Since 2017, she has been linked to bindi production through a women’s self-help group, helping turn what was once scattered home-based activity into a coordinated source of income. Ballia’s bindi work has also gained visibility through the state’s One District One Product (ODOP) programme, which has created clearer pathways for local producers to reach wider markets.From entry to enterpriseVerma did not come from a business background. She recalls a period when she was not engaged in steady work and spent most days around home. A visit to the district industry office changed that direction. Encouraged to explore a product-based livelihood, she studied bindi-making and felt it was a skill she could learn and grow alongside other women.After a short training… Read MoreYourStory RSS Feed
