Chandrika Bhagat – Founder of Chandrakalakriti
Chandrika Bhagat is the founder of Chandrakalakriti, an Indian wooden jewellery brand creating handcrafted earrings and accessories from responsibly repurposed exotic woods. She is also a co-founder and Director of Shree Balaji Musical Pvt Ltd, a Kolkata manufacturer of string instrument fittings exported to Germany, the USA, the UK and Japan — which is where more than two decades of working with wood began.
Before Chandrakalakriti
Chandrika's relationship with creativity began long before Chandrakalakriti.
Her name itself carries a part of that story — Chandrakala, given by her grandparents, and Aakriti, lovingly given by her mother, reflecting her creative spirit. From an early age, she had an instinct for transforming simple things into something distinctive, earning her the title of “the artist of the family.”
But another material would eventually become an important part of both her professional and creative journey — wood.
In 2003 Chandrika co-founded Shree Balaji Musical Pvt Ltd in Kolkata, where she serves as Director. The company produces fittings and accessories for stringed instruments — violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar, saz, oud and zither — with its output exported to Germany, the USA, the UK and Japan, and holds membership of the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, and the National Association of Music Merchants in the USA.
Chinrests, pegs, fingerboards, tailpieces. Small wooden components where grain direction, density and finish decide whether a part works or fails. Two decades of that gave her a deep understanding of wood's character and the craftsmanship required to shape it.
Eventually, she began to see this familiar material through an entirely different lens.
From musical instruments to wearable art
Years of working with wood also meant seeing pieces left behind during production — pieces that might no longer serve their original purpose, yet still carried the natural beauty and character of the material.
Instead of seeing them simply as leftovers, Chandrika saw possibility.
Could these pieces be given another purpose? Could the same wood associated with craftsmanship and musical instruments become something completely unexpected?
Jewellery.
That idea opened a new creative chapter.
Through Disharts, her business enterprise, Chandrika began extending her knowledge of wood into the world of fashion. Chandrakalakriti became the platform through which this new expression reaches customers — transforming carefully selected and repurposed wood into distinctive, handcrafted wooden jewellery.
Today, pieces that might otherwise have been overlooked are given a new identity — designed to be worn, loved and remembered.
Why wooden jewellery?
For Chandrika, wooden jewellery is more than another fashion accessory.
It brings together decades of knowledge of wood, craftsmanship, creativity and conscious use of material.
The natural grain, texture and variations of wood give every design its own character. Rather than trying to imitate conventional jewellery, Chandrakalakriti celebrates wood for exactly what it is.
The purpose is simple: to help women discover that something as natural and familiar as wood can also be elegant, expressive and contemporary.
Disharts and Chandrakalakriti
Disharts is the business foundation behind the journey, handling the commercial and financial operations.
Chandrakalakriti is its customer-facing wooden jewellery platform — the space where Chandrika's experience with wood meets her creativity and vision for contemporary jewellery.
Together, they represent an evolution of the same journey: from working with wood to reimagining what wood can become.
The vision
Chandrika envisions Chandrakalakriti becoming a recognised name for distinctive wooden jewellery from India, bringing decades of knowledge of wood into contemporary fashion.
The vision is not simply to sell another type of jewellery, but to encourage people to look at wood differently — as a material capable of carrying craftsmanship, individuality, beauty and meaning.
And as Chandrakalakriti grows, the journey will continue to explore new forms, techniques and possibilities for turning wood into wearable design.
The philosophy
From Wood. To Art. To You.
Every Chandrakalakriti creation begins with a material Chandrika has understood for decades and ends as something entirely different — a piece of jewellery with a story of its own.
Because sometimes, what appears to be a leftover is simply a new creation waiting to happen.
In brief
- Name: Chandrika Bhagat
- Role: Founder, Chandrakalakriti
- Also: Co-founder and Director, Shree Balaji Musical Pvt Ltd, Kolkata — string instrument fittings exported to Germany, USA, UK and Japan
- Based in: Baranagar, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
- Industry: Handcrafted wooden jewellery, sustainable fashion
- Background: Over two decades working with wood in the musical-instrument industry, since 2003
- Materials: Responsibly repurposed exotic hardwoods — Ebony, Boxwood, Padauk, Maple