Last time I was at Barafkhana for some gardening supplies, the vendor was surprised that I took the metro with a change at Kashmere Gate. According to her, it was like going out of the way to the city center to get back up to North Delhi. On my way back, she suggested, I take a cycle rikshaw to Ghantaghar and get another home from there. This prompted me to check the map when I realized that it was a straight drive down from our current residence.
Yesterday I finally found time to try the route on my way to the garden stores. It was quite easy and everybody was supremely helpful. The first TukTuk dropped me at the Gurudwara for Rs 10 and the driver pointed to the exact spot where I had the best chance of getting the next one for Rs 10. This one passed through neighbourhoods I would have not ventured through otherwise. We crossed a couple of roadside potters and an old gateway that supported three lanes of traffic through its three arches. I decided to come back to explore it later.
The biggest surprise however was the Ghantaghar Chawk itself. The TukTuk dropped me into a bustling bazar full of roadside vendors hawking colorful wares lined up in front of traditional Mithaiwalas (sweetmeat shops), dairy product shops, grocers, plasticware shops, and pickle shops. A few conversations with vendors and shoppers confirmed that it was more than busy that day because of KaravaChauth, a festival celebrated in West and North India. Women fast on the day for their husband’s long life and celebrate at night after looking at the crescent moon. I obviously decided to break my roadtrip and explore this fascinating place before I continued on to the garden stores. Here are some snapshots:
Baskets of Mathri at a Rajasthani Mithaiwala.
A woman getting one prepared for her daughter’s first KarvaChauth gave me a low down on other things that will go with it as a gift inclusing diamand jewelery for daughter, gold something for the son-in-law etc with a price tag of 1 lakh. The Mathris seemed like the cheapest but traditionally most important part of the gift. I was told a Sargi or a food and puja item basket which includes mathari is sent by the mother-in-law to the daughter-in-law. Not sure if this was the same.
Street vendors selling Puja items: Terracota pots painted with traditional motif and similar pot shapes made of sugar. Reminded me of Gudhi Padva, the Marathi new year, when we use garlands made of sugar.
Other Puja items and Henna cones:
Women dress up for the occassion with Henna on their hands, and Zari decorated saris or lehengas, at least in Bollywood movies which is the sole source of my knowlege for this occassion. Newspapers for a couple of weeks have been full of advertisements for specials on women’s spa services, makeup and garments.
Accessories and cosmetics for women: Bangles, wedding necklace, and makeup items.
devayani tirthali 