Our Origin

"If we can cultivate a concern for others, keeping in mind the oneness of humanity, we can build a more compassionate world."

- His Holiness the Dalai Lama

The origin of Manav मानव  (Sanskrit for human), Bunai बुनाई (Hindi for weaving) is based on this simple yet impactful quote from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. The quote actually extends further saying that it is not enough for us to simply think about compassion and oneness, we need to show it in our actions. 

Aishwarya the founder of this social enterprise has been travelling and collecting unique crafts from the Himalayan region. Her travels inspired her to bring back the dying art of the Himalayas by empowering women. Her dream is to build a cycle of sustainability where every stakeholder is empowered, and treated with compassion.

Manav Bunai has now weaved in Kirti Kaushal, Kiran Bodh, Kusum and one of the most experienced crafts lady Indira Ji in this enterprise. All the women are loving, skilled and hardworking. Together we are producing some high-quality unique products for you so that you can break away from the fast fashion industry and inch-in closer to a  sustainable life.

When you buy our products, you are not just supporting the women artisans but also the ageing nuns living in harsher high altitude region of Zanskar. From every product sold, we use $1 (AUD) to better the life of nuns in Zanskar.