New Delhi: Women vendors in the capital may customarily cover their faces in front of their elders at home, but when it comes to selling handicrafts to foreigners on the pavements, their expressive personalities can surprise the swankiest salesmen.
Their expertise of conversing with a spatter of Spanish, French, German and English leaves many foreign buyers spellbound.
Surprisingly, none of them are educated and some have never even been to school. But apart from their street smarts they are equally proficient when it comes to taking care of themselves. Most cannot do without regular facials and look for the highest SPF in their sunscreen.
Mini, Savita, Jaya, Pushpa, Manju and several others are all residents of Paschim Puri in west Delhi. Carrying huge bundles, they travel by public transport to Janpath near Connaught Place in the heart of the city every morning.
Spreading their cheerful, brightly coloured handicrafts on the pavement earmarked for them and known as the Gujarati market, they brave the scorching sun and chilly winds with immense bravado, all year round.
“Delhi is famous for many things, including its monuments, street food, vibrant colours and extreme weather conditions. Though many of us are natives of Gujarat, we have lived in Delhi for decades and some were even born here. Now that it is our home, we cannot let it down and try our best to live up to its image of being the most colourful city in the country by selling crafts in various shades,” Savita says.
When most people are reluctant to leave the luxury of air-conditioned homes or offices during summers or tuck themselves under blankets and quilts in winters, these women vendors face it all. With coverings to protect them from the sun, they sit dressed up in saris as colourful as their wares as they sell and sport bindis, eyeliners, nail paint and lipstick.
The fact that all the women love to dress up is visible, but their hidden talent, speaking in other languages, comes on display only when they spot foreign buyers. And this is quite often, as Janpath is popular on the tourist guide maps for being the go-to spot for a variety of knick-knacks that can be taken back home as souvenirs.
Jaya conveys, “Some of us have even learnt the accent that comes with a language merely by communicating with buyers. I have been on the job for more than two decades and we sometimes speak to each other in a foreign language just to brush up on our accent.”
Even as Jaya talks, Pushpa dabs a good portion of sunscreen on her face. She conveys, “My skin would have got burnt if I had not taken care right from the beginning. I apply it before venturing out of the house and advise others also on what SPF to go for.”
Meanwhile, Mini takes out a box of neatly cut fruits. She complains, “Sitting in the market without moving for several hours, I have put on a lot of weight. Every month, I go for a herbal or fruit facial and have been advised by a dietician to cut down on carbohydrates.”
“It is very difficult to maintain the skin when we are out in the open throughout the day. So, as a rule, we all keep re-applying sunscreen lotion to ensure that our skin does not get tanned or looks worn out,” she adds.
The women sell a wide range of furnishings – from simple and elegant cushion covers to bed sheets and saris in a variety of styles and hues. Pleasantly embroidered and with micro mirrors, these have geometrical or animal motifs and patch work.
The arts and crafts with aesthetic appeal are hugely popular with the local crowd as well. Needle work of Gujarat, famous the world over for its elegance and accuracy, is now a quintessential handicraft that has provided several women to become experts in this art. An income generating skill, it has provided these women to add to the family income.
