Just how would you react if you walked a mela by the riverside of a foreign shore, and found among all the stashes of locally made goods and colours, a slice of your own desi wares?
Ditto the way they were displayed at our craft fairs and village santhes I mean.
I found the brass danglers that make up for our desi wind-chimes or doorway decor and got pulled towards them like to a magnet. This was at the Bear Mountain State Park's Fall fest. Or Oktober Fest.
This Sun God doorway hanging, with the Om hanging, make up for a lovely grab in our craft fairs and decor stores! What a welcome sight! To see home out here! Bandni dupattas getting converted into table cloth! And even Evil Eye charms (though I doubt they have an Indian origin).
Curious, my friends and I check out the price - in the range of $ 20, which is, if you calculate `multiplied by 50', about Rs 1,000 for Sun God chime alone. Ouch. I guess the would have been in the range of Rs 200 or Rs 300 back home.
We do not check out the price of Rudraksha mala or chain. But the little figurines of Ganesha, Buddha and the agarbatti or incense stick stands, are so so inviting!
Tough luck. Ganesha (the blue green one) here costs $ 34 which is Rs 1,700 or more! Agreed that even in our cities, we've such statues that cost sky high. But the size here simply does not justify that cost! The incense stick stands, are at $ 20 each. Everything else that I ventured to check about was in a similar price range.
The man at the stall looked every bit like he had gone to India for a holiday and decided to put up whatever he picked up as a souvenir hunter, on a yard sale! Isn't that a super business opportunity?
Travel to the place you like, pick up the stuff, not as a businessperson, but a tourist, and sell them away anyways!
I've seen Pashmina shawls acquiring the fancy name of Cashmere that I bought at Rs 100 or Rs 150 at Delhi's Janpath Market go here in malls, for $25. At times, even $50.
This bit leaves me in a dilemma. Shall I feel happy for the fact that our culture tingles the interest of people in other countries, or sad that they profit so much from it?
Or is it simply an H4 wife ranting because she is not allowed to sell? And earn money for herself?
Picture Courtesy: Radhika MB
If you need pics without watermark, write to: radiscribe@gmail.com
See related posts: Writing on Sand
Ditto the way they were displayed at our craft fairs and village santhes I mean.
I found the brass danglers that make up for our desi wind-chimes or doorway decor and got pulled towards them like to a magnet. This was at the Bear Mountain State Park's Fall fest. Or Oktober Fest.
The man at the stall looked every bit like he had gone to India for a holiday and decided to put up whatever he picked up as a souvenir hunter, on a yard sale! Isn't that a super business opportunity?
Travel to the place you like, pick up the stuff, not as a businessperson, but a tourist, and sell them away anyways!
I've seen Pashmina shawls acquiring the fancy name of Cashmere that I bought at Rs 100 or Rs 150 at Delhi's Janpath Market go here in malls, for $25. At times, even $50.
This bit leaves me in a dilemma. Shall I feel happy for the fact that our culture tingles the interest of people in other countries, or sad that they profit so much from it?
Or is it simply an H4 wife ranting because she is not allowed to sell? And earn money for herself?
Picture Courtesy: Radhika MB
If you need pics without watermark, write to: radiscribe@gmail.com
See related posts: Writing on Sand
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