Situated close to the famous Kapaleeswarar temple at Mylapore, Chennai is Radha Silk Emporium, a name synonymous with the best in silk.
In 1915 K.Tiruvengadam Chettiar and his brothers migrated to Madras (Chennai) and started out as wholesalers, operating from their home. With six generations of experience in the silk trade behind them, they soon became highly successful and ventured into retailing. This soon became their main business.
By the thirties, a showroom was opened. An extension of their residence, the new showroom was called Radha Silks. Customers enjoyed the ambience and comfort of sitting on wide diwans while making their selections.
Radha Silk's greatest advantage was having their own design and weaving centre. With their in-house expertise, they soon brought innovation into an otherwise staid Kancheepuram saree market.
With the freely permissible import of chemical dyes in the 40's, Radha Silks started introducing newer and newer colours and designs. In fact, several colours introduced by them are still going strong today.
By 1954, Radha Silks was ready for further expansion. Shop space was increased and Radha Silks became RASI - a name that in Sanskrit means "birth star". The name proved a hit and more success followed. Before long, Rasi ventured into exports. Modernised factories were set up and a good 10% of the total silk export from India was from Rasi. By the mid 60's, shop space became a constraint again. It was time to move...
In '69 Rasi moved to a much larger and better equipped showroom across the road. Modern concepts of merchandising were introduced, exports grew and Rasi branched out into cotton textiles and garments. These too found their way into the showroom. Handloom to handicrafts was a small step - and the earlier shop was converted into a gallery - a handicraft lover's dream.
As is the early days, ideas for designs and colours continue to come from customers. It is this interaction with their customers that has made Rasi an institution. And no visit to Chennai is complete without a trip to Rasi...
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From humble beginings in a village down South, Rasi has come a long way. With constant efforts to adapt to customer needs and create a more broad based clientele, Rasi, today offers several other items as well, all of which are becoming increasingly popular.
While silk and silk sarees remain the main business, Rasi today offers a complete shopping experience.
Whether you're looking for the traditional "pattu pudavai's" or trendy salwar sets, you'll find them at Rasi. Not to mention skirts, blouses, cotton trousers as well as elegant, comfortable cotton nightwear.
And as for men, there's a wide selection of silk and cotton shirts, and silk ties suitable for both formal and casual wear.
Printed and embriodered silk scarves, stoles and shawls are a huge attraction at Rasi. Suitable for any occasion, these make for ideal gifts.
Dress material, furnishing fabric, plain or printed silk, raw silk, silk jacquard - whatever you need, you'll find it here.
When it comes to furnishing, people all over the world are turning to silk for its durabiltiy and sheer elegence. And with Rasi's track record in the silk industry, it's not surprising that institutions like Saks on Fifth Avenue (New York) have used Rasi silk for furnishing their offices.
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From the very begining, Rasi has invested in its own looms - one of the few in the business to do so. And to keep pace with the current growth, Rasi has set up a state-of-the-art manufacturing unit with Rapier looms and a mechanised dye house near Chennai. At this factory - satin, taffeta, silk, dupion raw silk and heavy silk furnishing material is manufactured under stringent quality control systems.
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