Bhanr er cha is one of the strongest connections a Kolkatan has with the City of Joy. Many a tie-in — from love and friendship to everything in between — has been brewed over earthy sips of cha, making the bhanr the fulcrum of several happy memories.
Sisters Poulami Sikhar, 28, and Poushali Sikder, 36, have curated a line of Kolkata-centric products on their platform, Touch of Spark, which will make homesick Kolkatans very happy.
“Touch of Spark makes products that are influenced by Kolkata’s art and culture. Both of us have lived outside the city at one point and we missed the city terribly, especially during Durga Puja. Through the label, we hope to bring a little bit of Kolkata to Bengalis who are living elsewhere so they feel like they are closer to home,” says Poushali, the 28-year-old co-founder.
Touch of Spark began in September 2020 with a range of bhanrs (or kulhads). “If you start the day by drinking tea out of a kulhad, your day starts on a great note! Every Bengali has a close connection to the bhanr, so they are a loved product! Our kulhads are ceramic and very durable,” says Poulami. The kulhads at Touch of Spark feature Bengal’s most famous motifs and recently, the duo came up with a line inspired by Satyajit Ray’s Feluda.
Poulami and Poushali, who grew up in Birati, are designing all the pieces as well as managing production. “We have a workshop in Birati and we work with a number of artisans who make the products, but we design every piece. With the Feluda line, we had the opportunity of bringing to life the characters we always read about. It’s a very nostalgic line and the stories are obviously a part of almost every Bengali’s childhood,” they explain.
“Our USP is the range of smaller products that feature rare artwork, making this kind of art a lot more accessible,” says Poulami. “We have customers from Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai and even a few from Australia, Japan and Germany,” beams Poushali.
Apart from the kulhads, Touch of Spark has also expanded to cushion covers, wall hangings, clocks, coasters and more — all revolving around Kolkata and West Bengal. “Bengalis love taant, but the work isn’t appreciated as much as it should be. So we use the taant work on a number of products to help showcase its beauty,” says Poulami. You’ll spot cushion covers, wall hangings and clocks done up in beguiling taant work.
“We are slowly expanding our business. We want to showcase the lost arts of India, not just Bengal. We have various art forms from across India, and we hope to become the go-to brand for Indian artwork in the future,” sign off the sisters.
Explore Touch Of Spark's products here.