TIRUPATI: Heavy pilgrim influx to Tirumala this year has yielded rich harvest of human hair to the TTD.
The customary practice of devotees offering their hair to Lord Venkateswara is earning fat revenues to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
This year, TTD administration is all set to dispose of a record Rs 45 crore worth human hair, the highest in the temple’s history. Companies from across the world bid for the hair from Tirumala, the largest source of human hair.
For past two months TTD’s Finance, IT and Marketing departments are working on sale of the hair, which is stored in the warehouses of the TTD in Tirumala and Tirupati.
TTD on direction of its Board of Trustees has called for tenders through e-procurement and shortlisted ‘Matex Net India’, a multi-national company through the e-Tender process.
A team of representatives from ‘Matex Net India’ visited the TTD’s warehouses in Tirumala and Tirupati yesterday, for physical verification of stock.
According to sources, when the tenders were called for, TTD had offered only Rs 30 crore worth human hair, which was kept ready after segregating the stock in A, B, C, D grades.
But, now with accumulation of hair in high quantities, TTD is negotiating sale of more than the offered quantity.
For the first time TTD is planning a public auction to sell as much human hair as possible, sources added.
Till 2000, TTD earned on an average a revenue of Rs 15 crore per year through the sale of human hair.
In 2002 the system of tendering was reformed resulting in the revenue going up to Rs 20 crore and later with TTD Board’s decision to go for global tender, the revenue increased to Rs 30 crore and last year the TTD earned Rs 33 crores.
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malibu
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What I want to know is what constitutes the various grades they mention. That would be interesting to know since we have had discussions here about some of the hair that originates in India.
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It will be interesting to see how this rich harvest and high quantities will reflect on prices. It would be nice to see some lower prices, but somehow I think that wont happen!
It will be interesting to see how this rich harvest and high quantities will reflect on prices. It would be nice to see some lower prices, but somehow I think that wont happen!
It makes sense if the demand for their temple hair is going crazy that they might not want to raise the price rather than lower it.
But I guess only time will tell. :-)
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That's a good question Karen, I have no idea what the difference in grade would be?? Texture? or how it's gathered? I know cutting it straight off the person's head is much better than gathering the hair from the floor, ya know?
People often wonder how you can tell the difference between Grade A, B, C & D human hair.
Here is a break up showing you the differences in grades of clip in hair extensions -
Examples talk of 18inch clip in hair -
Our Hair is true -
Grade A - 100% Human hair, hand selected remi, cuticle in place and aligned. 95% of the hair is 18inches in length. Which means that the ends of the hair extensions are as thick as the middle and top. This type of hair is perfect for clip in hair extensions.
Grade B - 100% Human Hair, remi, cuticle sometimes in place and sometimes non aligned - causes tangles. 70% of the hair is 18inches in length. This means 30% of the hair on the extension may only be 10inches, leaving a thinner end, the hair is sometimes stretched to make it appear longer, this is unacceptable for hair extensions.
Grade C - 100% Human Hair, non remi, no cuticle. 40% of the hair is 18inches in length. The hair is sometimes 'stretched' to make it appear longer. This means very thin ends!
Grade D - Yaki hair, synthetic and human mixed. 40% of the hair is 18inches in length. Thin ends and poor texture.
A good check idea is to ask a supplier to explain what makes their grade A clip ins 'grade A.' Ask for all the details about width as well as length. A great supplier will always be happy to give you all the information you require.
Thanks for that info, Metalgirl! I wonder how grade A hair is collected as opposed to grade B?? Why are they not able to make all hair grade A, ya know? I can understand Yaki texture since they're mixing hh with synth but otherwise I'm confused.
Grade D - Yaki hair, synthetic and human mixed. 40% of the hair is 18inches in length. Thin ends and poor texture.
This is interesting and a little misleading.. Not all suppliers of Yaki textures create the texture by mixing human hair with synth, and there are lots of Grade A options for Yaki or Afro textures..
Check out the 5th So Cal offline luncheon?? For more info: divahairtalk.overthehillweb.com/lunch.html
Links to my fav vendors & hair albums + Weave 101 information: divahairtalk.overthehillweb.com
Wholesalers sort hair into five categories. The kind that is black and longer than 6 inches is the most sought after. This "remy" or "black gold" category sells for as much as $160 per kilogram.
The second category of black hair, between 8 and 16 inches long, sells for around $44 a kilogram. The third category of black hair, shorter than 8 inches, sells for under a dollar a kilogram. The fourth and fifth categories are gray hair shorter than 8 inches, which sell for about 10 cents a kilogram.
Once exporters have bought hair they re-sort it into straight, wavy, silky and curly hair. The hair is then shampooed, dried in the sun and combed.
Every year hair worth about $136 million is shipped from India, one of the largest exporters of human hair, to factories in China. There, Chinese hair is mixed with Indian hair to make wigs and hair extensions for Western markets.
While China is the biggest market for Indian hair, Jaswanth Soundarapandian, regional director of the government's council on hair export, says other countries are also important. He told Women's eNews that hair worth $82 million was exported to the United States during the 2004-05 fiscal year, 30 percent more than the previous year. He said that for the three-quarter period between April 2005 and December 2005 exports fetched $54 million.
"There has been a steady rise in demand from China," he says. "However, while it remains our biggest buyer, the burgeoning hair fashion trends in countries like the United States of America and European countries have helped to expand trade."
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sherrie215 wrote:
