Pop
singer
Smitha
kick-started
Aalayam
Navaratri
Handloom
festival
at
Jubilee
Hills
in
Hyderabad
today
(September
25).
In
association
with
renowned
Designer
Shravan
Kumar,
the
Indi-pop
singer
set
up
an
exclusive
handloom
store
Aalayam
at
Road
No.67
a
year
ago.
Aalayam,
which
works
towards
upliftment
of
weaver
community,
showcases
exclusive
handloom
sarees
from
across
India
at
the
festival.
Smitha,
who
has
been
very
passionate
of
handlooms,
spent
a
lot
of
time
around
weavers
and
looms
as
she
was
growing
up.
Later,
she
met
Shravan
Kumar,
who
always
promoted
handlooms
through
his
designs
and
shows
nationally
and
internationally.
They
both
started
the
store
an
year
ago
with
the
intention
of
supporting
Indian
weavers.
Smitha
and
Shravan
Kumar
are
working
towards
reviving
many
weaves
which
are
slowly
becoming
extinct.
An
Aalayam
Society
was
started
to
work
towards
upliftment
of
weaver
community.
One
of
the
recent
initiatives
undertaken
by
the
society
was
distribution
of
Charkas
to
Khadi
weavers.
During
the
nine
days
of
Navaratri,
Aalayam
organises
a
festival
as
celebration
of
feminine
divine
and
Indian
weaves.
Along
with
Devi
Alankarana
Puja,
an
exhibition
and
sale
of
a
special
weave
of
sarees
is
held
each
day
at
the
store.
Smitha
has
invited
everyone
to
support
and
celebrate
the
rich
heritage
of
Indian
weaves.
The
store
is
exhibiting
Khadi
and
Venkatagiri
on
Sept
25,
Gadwal
and
Narayanpet
on
Sept
26,
Mangalagiri
and
Ikkat
on
Sept
27,
Banaras
and
Paithani
on
Sept
28,
Uppada
on
Sept
29,
Kota
and
Chanderi
on
Sept
30,
Kanchi
on
Oct
1
and
Aari
and
Kuch
work
on
Oct
2.
Continue
to
slide
to
see
the
snaps
of
Smitha's
photo
shoot.
Smitha
Inclination
For
Singing
Smitha
was
born
4
September
1980
in
Vijayawada,
Andhra
Pradesh.
She
was
four-year
old
when
she
performed
for
the
first
time
at
her
school
annual
day
function
at
Vijayawada.
As
she
grew,
she
started
going
for
many
competitions
and
always
returned
home
with
some
prize.
Smitha
On
Padutha
Theeyaga
When
she
was
in
intermediate
in
Maris
Stella
college
at
Vijayawada,
she
participated
in
ETV's
reality
show
Padutha
Theeyaga
and
made
her
own
mark.
She
won
the
quarter
finals,
semis
and
mini
finals.
She
somehow
lost
in
mega
semis.
Playback
Singing
Offers
For
Smitha
Though
she
was
disappointed
about
getting
eliminated
from
Padutha
Theeyaga,
her
passion
and
determination
were
intact.
She
started
trying
for
some
playback
opportunities
and
she
did
get
to
sing
a
few
playback
songs.
This
is
when
her
parents
advised
her
that
it
was
more
apt
to
choose
pop
singing
as
a
career
as
she
had
a
style
which
is
more
suited
for
making
of
a
pop
artist.
Smitha's
Debut
As
Pop
Artist
Her
career
as
a
pop
artist
started
in
the
year
2000
with
the
launch
of
her
first
album
'Hai
Rabba'.
This
album
was
followed
by
several
blockbuster
albums
in
Telugu
and
Tamil.
Some
of
her
albums
in
Telugu
has
crossed
sales
of
over
one
million
copies
with
special
mention
to
albums
like
'Masaka
Masaka'.
Filmfare
Award
For
Smitha
Over
the
last
seven
years
Smita
has
sung
over
75
playback
songs
in
Telugu
and
has
worked
with
leading
music
composers
from
the
south.
The
song
"Evaraina
chusuntara"
from
the
film
Anukokunda
oka
roju
composed
by
MM
Keeravani
won
her
a
Filmfare
award
as
Best
Playback
Singer
in
Telugu
films
for
the
year
2005.
Smitha
Sings
In
6
Languages
There
was
no
looking
back
after
that.
Her
songs
have
been
featured
in
numerous
Tollywood,
Bollywood,
Tamil
and
Kannada
movies.
She
has
over
million
albums
sold,
200
concerts
in
eight
countries,
75
playback
songs
and
proved
her
ability
to
sing
in
six
languages.