Sulakshana B Bhuyan
Sulakshana B Bhuyan is the birth giver (founder) of Zangfai. A native of Nagaon, a small town of Assam, married to Jaydeep Bhuyan of Guwahati, Assam, she settled to the family of Dr. Manish Chandra Bhuyan (her father in law) in the city in the year 1992. A woman of great determination, passion, style and hard work, Sulakshana started her journey as an Entrepreneur in the year 2002 and that is when Zangfai was born. A Stone unrealized of its potential was laid back when entrepreneurship wasn’t a call that everyone would have dared to make.
The birth of Zangfai in Sulakshana’s words, “It was a very naive starting. I used to wear Assamese traditional jewelry in social functions since I had a good collection of those. My father Pranab Baruah was an artist of repute in Assam who was known for his originality as a man of art and abstract. Artist Baruah took to design Assamese traditional jewelry by adding a fresh and contemporary finish to the traditional style almost 40 years back. It was like an experiment to him similar to his other experiments with various art forms. He never thought of taking it professionally though his work was highly valued by the jewellery enthusiasts.
I was lucky to be able to wear some ornaments designed by my father. I was, in fact, inspired to take it up as a profession by some of my close acquaintances as they wanted me to supply them the exact pieces of jewellery I was wearing. With a bit of hesitation, I took the call and now it is like my third child. And that is how there was a revival of the trend of wearing Assamese traditional jewelry amongst locals.”
Sulakshana (nickname Lakhimi) is a person who can make you buy a needle when you don’t even know what a thread is. She is a woman who can demonstrate trust, assurance and love towards her customers with an explicit charisma. Once you enter Zangfai Showroom, you can witness the founder’s lit up face to welcome you with the most vibrant vibe that no person can miss out. You will mostly (almost always) find her catering to her customers in her showroom in Silpukhuri, Guwahati, Assam. She firmly believes that service to people have brought her where she stands today and therefore her motto for Zangfai over the years has been to cater to her customers personally till when circumstances bless us. It was Sulakshana’s heart and soul and sweat that today we say that many generations of local jewellery artisans of Assam can confide in this art of Assamese Traditional Jewellery Making as a secured source of livelihood.
Sulakshana B Bhuyan has been a recipient of prestigious awards are given by the State for her contribution in the field of livelihood enhancement of local art and culture.
To name them:Ficci Ladies Organization FLO Northeast- Women Achievers Award of Excellence 2017-18 for Outstanding Contribution in the Field of Promotion of Traditional Assamese Jewellery. Believe India 'Be the Change' Stree Uyamita Samman 2016 for outstanding contribution in the field of women entrepreneurship., 12th March 2016. Therefore, to end the least, the pioneer of revival of the popularity of Assamese Jewellery is a personality whose charisma can only be understood the day you meet her (those who know will know).