Central Market, DDA Flats Kalkaji

I know, all of us love shopping markets. These days, one would root for the malls and their airconditioned confines.  But there are lot of these neighbourhood markets where things are still old fashioned. Several long forgotten things are available off the shelf. They are affordable, offer you fresh products and the variety is mind boggling. It does remind you of what Delhi once was, with its wide roads and little traffic and of course the friendly neighbourhood shops especially the Kirana ones!

This one is called DDA Flats Kalkaji, mini market. It is at a walking distance from the main DTC bus depot. This bus depot was our mainstay for U Specials during good old DU days! The market is referred to as mini market. It has a small group of about 30 to 40 odd shops. And the shops between them offer a lot. Of course, the attitude of the shopkeepers is brisk, no nonsense, no bargaining but the range is interesting. There are a couple of bakeries offering fresh products, a couple of cloth shop. Yes, you do get your fabric by the meter and there is a veritable range. From the astar or lining cloth, poplin, rubia, falls for saree, blouse pieces, cotton fabrics for everyday wear, curtain cloth, sofa cloth, gamcha, handkerchiefs, dupatta and oh yes they are affordable. There is fancy odds and end shop too. The is where one can get lace for stitching, dori for blouses, buttons, dori for pouches, coloured yarn and more. A couple of stationery shops, printing press. There is a good ole chakki, where one can get chakki atta ground just in front of you and it is hot. I think, they also let you take your own mix of grains! So any diehard multi-grain follower or grain-lentil flour master, this place is good for getting your own recipe or measurement ground. There are a couple of good tailors – reasonable and good. A bartan or vessel shop to buy steel and brass utensils. I have picked up a silbatta from here! There is a razai wala family across the road, who make pure cotton mattresses, cushions, floor cushions, razais and more! Next to it is the typical South Indian – Kerala shop selling a lot of items from Kerala.

Where – Just less than 0.10 kms from DTC bus stop. One has to turn right from the corner Taxi Stand called Gahunia and proceed straight and the market will be to the right. There will be a large number of carts selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Believe me, walking down the road is a bit of a nightmare though!

Timings – Open 10 am to evening 7 pm. Several shops open at 8 am especially the bakery. The rest though is laid back. Several do close in the afternoons too. Tuesday the market is closed and the shopkeepers take their holiday seriously!  So the market is closed.

Highlights – The kirana shops at the back sell a lot of Kachris or fry ums. One can get macroni, chips, vrat aloo chips and more. They also stock vadiyans and chillies. The razai wala called Popular mattress is skilled in making all kinds of cushions inclusing customised floor cushions!

Inside Tip – The Kerala shop opposite the market is a tiny one in the byland. Before Vishu and Onam one can get Nedran bananas, chips, tapioca chips, coconut,  tapiocal, koorka and more. Hari Kripa Bakery is my favourite. Introduced to me by my father in the 80s, when bakeries were old fashioned. He still bakes his own biscuits, patties, cup cakes, Christmas Plum cakes. They are delicious and affordable. The team is willing to try so one can give orders for puffs, patties or pastries or cakes. They are wholesellers for eggs especially the desi eggs or the country chicken eggs. Yes, the light brown variety. One can pick up that as well as a whole assortment of breads and buns. Narendra Cloth house has some very interesting fabric including the old fashioned velvet, satin, mattee cloth.

 

On the Chai trail in Delhi

Tea Tourism is “the” thing in the tea gardens of Assam, Ooty, Kerala, Kangra….. Tea tourism or tea shopping / hopping in Delhi offers a vignette of another kind. Not only does one get to taste tea from across the country and abroad but also interact with connoisseurs who run the tea shop, who are gold mine of information. Several of them also offer infused teas, variations additions…. Have informal chat, stock up on tea, learn how to brew the variety, go back in time as each of these shop hark to a bygone era when etiquette, quality and lifestyle ruled and well maintain it today with a comfortable contemporary elan. What adds to the experience is the well versed, well informed patrons or owners who won’t tire of explaining the teas to you. Also pick traditional brewing vessels, tea accessories, cups and more….above all enjoy the experience. Some of those listed here may not be “the typically uppity ones, but are wholesalers and believe me, their knowledge is incomparable.  So what are you waiting for Chart your own Chai tourism, your cuppa overflowth or your mild tea tourism.

Chayoos has become very popular. There are a number of Chai shops outside ITO, the HT Building on K G Marg, near JNU hostles.  , There are plenty of dedicated tea bars, tea parlours, special tea shops in Delhi….

We are compiling a list, if you know of some..do let us know….

Rafoogars - The magic of the darners

We reached a milestone with 100 posts, yes after years…regular writing makes achieving these milestones easier!!!

In this little piece, I take a look at the humble Rafoogars that can be seen in most markets. They were a regular sight once upon a time. Today, they can be seen though in not so much quantity. Rafoogars can be called darners, who repair good clothes which has worn out or tore out. They can darn anything from woollen, cotton, silk, georgette, chiffon…you name it and they can darn it for you. The process of darning is difficult. I have written about in detail in my www.armchairtextile journey

The Rafoogar, matches the thread, of the cloth and his fingers work the magic and voila, the little tear is no longer there. Or that heirloom saree or shawl has been beautiful restored. There services are used by restorers also. A tale told to me by my neighbourhood Dry Cleaner was how in the 70s, these rafoogars were called to restore old pashmina. Understanding the value of the old piece, they restored and often bought it at throw away prices from the women of the house. They also bartered newer pashmina for the old ones. Soon, many left the Rafoogari profession and moved into the business of buying and restoring old textiles and selling them. Though they say that Rafoogari is a dying art, I am not convinced, there are plenty of rafoogars and one needs to just look for them.

Timings – Usually the market timings – 10 am to 6 pm. They may not be working after 5 pm, given it starts getting dark,

Where – The easiest find for a Rafoogar is to look for them near a Drycleaner shop. Most are attached to a Dryclearner shop. Or you could ask you the local Drycleaner and they will invariable refer you to one!!

Highlights – It is a pleasure watching them work. That is if you are a textile lover. In a matter of time, the tear can just disappear and you will have to search to figure out where it was.

Insider tip – They understand the value of their work and the value of the fabric so their services do not come cheap! Rightly so, such skill with so much strain to the eyes, is a premium one. There are some very well known Rafoogars in Delhi – Old Delhi and Mehrauli. I will post interviews with them as I go along.

Shop away at TRIBES - An outlet run by TRIFED selling tribal products

I am a sucker for offbeat shopping places. These hidden nooks have some excellent items and very affordable prices. Tribes Mahadev Road is one of them.

 I had visited their outlet to do a story on organic products which was just becoming popular everywhere. Khadi had launched Desi Aahar and Tribes had brought out a range of organic delicious honey, organic rajma and a host of other things. The first outlet had been started out of a vacant MPs house on Mahadev Road. Going into the shop was a truly exciting experience for me. A house had been converted into a shop. So one had to hop from room to room. Each room very nicely arranged with beautiful things for sale. More importantly, the friendly staff was a breath of fresh air. The range of organic products, the handmade textiles all sourced from tribals from across India.

Tribes has been set up under the aegis of Trifed. TRIFED stands for (Tribal Co-Operative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India). Trifed was set up in 1987 with an aim to market products made by various tribes across India. This would provide an impetus for the artisans to continue with their crafts.

The shop has been retailing “assured organic products” which are being procured directly from the various Tribal communities and NGOs working with tribes for their upliftment in far off areas. Most of these producers are very small and produce only very limited quantities of such products. They are cultivated in such far flung areas where fertilizers and chemicals have not yet invaded. So we are very sure that each of the product is free from fertilizer and chemical. Hence the products can be termed “assured organic” since the area of procurement is very well known. Knowing the background of the people there, there is no possibility of chemcialisation of the cultivation process. The regions from which the products are being sourced include the South – Nilgiris, Uttaranchal, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat, Jagdalpur and Andhra Pradesh.

The place still exists. Tribes has since grown to have outlets across the country. It has an outlet in the Rajeev Gandhi Handicraft Bhawan Complex. The products have grown to include a range from handlooms and handicrafts to include agro products as well. The excellent range of agro products includes honey, spices, rajma. There was a time when I picked up some excellent off beat sherbets of cashew-apple, bael, rhododendron and naragi. They have Mahua based drinks and tea. The products have grown to upmarket offerings and include handmade soaps, exotic coffee, tea and the like. The jewellery section has some excellent beaded jewellery from Nagaland and other hill tribes. There are some very interesting range of stoles and shawls. The wool ranging from Yak, Merino to Pashmina. There are sarees, bed spreads, stitched garments, pottery, wood carving... The hallmark is weaves from Tribals from across India. In particular - Orissa, Jharkhand, Manipur, North Eastern States. There is dhokra, wrought iron works from Bastar, tussar and silk stoles, rare shawls and more.

Timings –  Morning  10.00 am to 6.30 pm. Closed on Sundays. The one at Dilli Haat is opened 7 days a week.

Where -   9, Mahadev Road, Behind Indian Airlines Building. Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhawan, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, in the middle of the Emporiums. Dilli Haat where they have a sprawling space right at the entrance. The Mahadev Road shop also has a café at the back.

Highlights -  The shop has interesting off beat items. There are North East stoles with auspicious motifs. The range of Kurtas (both long and short) for men sourced from the North East is to die for. The beautiful colour combinations in cotton teamed with woven embroidery stands out. The colours are very nice and price affordable. The same goes for the range of woollen stoles and shawls. 

Insider Tip – The Ukhrul – Manipur black pottery range of products is brilliant. The range includes mugs, teapots, bowls and more. I have picked some beautiful Naga bead necklaces. Huge dhokra gates and outdoor pieces can be seen outside. Monkeys abound but they do not disturb. The parking space at Mahadev Road is abundant. The recent Aadi Mahotsav inaugurated by the Prime Minister at Dhyan Chand National Stadium was under the aegis. It is also a one stop sourcing ground for tribal products.

Shopping in Delhi

 This is a generic piece which talks about shopping experience all over Delhi. If Delhites love one thing, it is shopping, shopping and more. And yes, my blog has paid ode to that by writing quite a few pieces on it.

Every colony has its particular shopping arcade, known for atleast a couple of wonderful things. Like markets of Chittaranjan Park which stock excellent Bengali cottons, vegetables and fish. The veritable shopping nooks include – Lajpat Nagar for its fantastic array of fabrics, dress materials, stitched kurtis, dupattas, trimmings, lace, footwear….what sets it apart is that it caters to almost all pockets. From the boutique wear to the bargain basement ones. Uppity Khan Market is excellent for branded wear what with Amrapali, Neemrana Shop, Anokhi, Biotique….and a host of well known names. G K I M block market if one can find place to park is filled with clothes, silverware, footwear and bags. The A block has Fab India. Quaint Hauz Khas village offers an interesting mélange of products – candles, handmade paper, antique furniture, one of a kind bookshops, cafes, silver jewellery, chic cottons, wicker furniture, old books….Shahpur Jat is where designers and one of a kind stores can be found. Meandering around the bylanes is a process of discovery with some interesting store cropping up at every corner.  Sarojini Nagar and Janpath top in bargainable products of the affordable variety. Nothing infra dig but excellent to scour around. The list is never ending – Santushti Complex, Qutab on the Crescent, Meher Chand Market, Connaught Place and not to forget the overflowing Karol Bagh which is a be all and end all of shopping.

Then there are the malls – the best of it – Select City Walk in Saket. There is DLF Place and MGF Metropolitan mall. The malls in Vasant Kunj include Ambience, DLF Emporio, DLF Promenade. These are the posh malls in South Delhi. There are plenty of malls in East, West and North Delhi.

 The following posts on this blog pertain to shopping in Delhi, which you may find useful. These are on the timings and the days market are closed in Delhi, the art of bargaining and more.

Markets closed in Delhi

Shopping at Janpath

The art of bargaining - Boni ka time in Dehi

Shirdi Sai Baba Mandir – Lodhi Road

Sai Baba’s dictat, “I draw a man like a sparrow tied to a thread” and only a person who is meant to be his devotee is pulled into the loving fold of Sai Samarth.

Despite being blessed to have Sai Nath in my life and being devoted to him, I have never attempted to write about the mandir at Lodhi Road which draws thousands of devotees. I have been there a number of times on Thursdays to offer my prayers, flowers and ladoos. The crowd, the flower sellers all fads away to become insignificant in the wake of the blissful form of Sai Maharaj. The moment one enters the mandir, it is just Baba and his blessings which matter. Each devotee has his or her own share of experiences. I have mine too, where despite the long queue, I have got darshan impromptu. I have gone on other days as well. . I have bowed before the Murti from outside, each time I have crossed the Mandir and have got the same blissful experience.

This Mandir at Lodhi Road, is the first Sai Mandir to be built in North India. It was built by concerted efforts of a lot of individuals and probably because Baba willed it! Several fund raising charity shows were held

One takes the steps into the hall at the end of which is the blissful form of Sai Samarth is his characteristic posture. One takes a pradakshan of sorts. Pray, bow or touch the feet with your head, the pujari hands over a flower. Walk down. The dhuni burns, one does the pradakshanna. And before one realizes, one is out to collect the slippers. The mind still in a blissful state. The floral prashad a memory to take back to.

Location - It is located in Lodhi Road Institutional Area. It is near Andhra Association and Ram Mandir. It is parallel to Habitat Centre. It is one crossing before India Habitat Centre and India International Centre. It is easily accessible by Metro. Nearest Metro Station is Jungpura and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Rickshaws, autos ply in plenty. One just needs to ask to be directed to it.

Timings - Go any day. The Mandir is open from 5 am in the morning to 10.00 pm in the evening. Kakad Arati is at 5.30 am in the morning and Shej arati 9.30 pm. Thursdays are crowded and the main entrance is closed and entry is through the side gate. A very orderly queue system is followed. A lot of students appearing for various exams make their way to offer prayers to be successful in their attempts. The Murti is visible from outside, from the road.

Insider Tip – Opposite the mandir is the wholeseller’s shop who sells all items for worship. The Sai Satcharita book, murti, clothes for Baba, spiritual books, photograph and everything. They also help organize bhajan sandhyas and food for distribution.

Highlight – Peace and blessedness. Miracles you asked – Faith and Patience is the key – Shraddha and Saburi.

Tank Road – A motley of shops today holds sway as “the” destination for jeans and denims.

Tank Road initially was a place where export rejects in hosiery especially T-shirts could be found. Most of the dealers in Tank Road would buy consignment of stock from Tirupur or Panipat and sell it in Delhi. The buyers would be exporters looking at cheaper exports, domestic sellers of apparel, traders from Janpath and the like. Overtime, it has metamorphosised into the one stop shop for jeans in Delhi. It has a number of wholesalers and retailers. Many of them also export to neighbouring countries. It is a sourcing hub for traders or small time shopkeepers in Delhi and neighbouring cities. Even small importers from neighbouring countries make a visit to Tank Road. After Gandhi Nagar, it is another preferred sourcing market for jeans. What makes the market attractive is its location, near Karol Bagh and its easy accessibility. Being in a somewhat central place makes it attractive for buyers.

Timings – 10.30 am or so to 8 pm (Tuesday to Sunday). The market is closed on Mondays as Karol Bagh is also closed on Mondays.

Where -  Near Karol Bagh

Highlights -  One can see a host of T-shirts – really nice ones. It is got from Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Panipat. Many are export rejects or delayed shipment consignments which are picked in bulk by these shopkeepers. So most are in line with international standards. 

Insider Tip – The prices are affordable and bargainable. The styles are what is hot in international markets including colours of spring and summer.

Weavers Service Centre - Delhi

This is the lesser known place when it comes to textile. The Weavers Service Centre has over the years done remarkable work in development of handloom textiles and its revival. A lot of revival of textiles under the venerable Martand Singh was carried out at several of the Weavers Service Centres. There is a legacy of work done under the doyens of Indian handlooms – Late Ms. Kamala Devi Chattopadyay, Late Ms. Pupul Jayakar, Late Ms. Jasleen Dhamija  The WSC in Delhi is situated at Bharat Nagar which is near Ashok Nagar, in a place which goes by the name of Bunkar Colony. Apart from this, it is the repertoire of work done for the various Tantuvi exhibition which is exhaustive. They also have a collection of textiles produced under the Vishwakarma and Festival of India series. The recently launched National Centre for Textile Design (NCTD) offering designs and India Handloom Brand Cell also operate out of the WSC. A visit to the WSC has much to offer in terms of the vast repertoire of what is the Indian legacy of handlooms. The research material available is mind boggling. One needs to go and speak to the Asst. Director heading the division and after securing such permission can have a private viewing. The samples are not displayed.

A detail piece on the various Weavers Service Centre can be read at – www.armchairtextilejourney.com

 https://www.armchairtextilejourney.com/2025/03/weavers-service-centre-delhi.html

Timings – 10 am to 5 pm (Monday to Friday). The office is closed on Saturday and Sunday.

 

Where -  Weavers’ Service Centre, Weavers Colony, Bharat Nagar, Ashok Vihar,  Delhi – 110052.

 

Highlights -  One can see handloom weavers in factories. And there are some shops selling handloom products

 

Insider Tip – The WSC Delhi is a treasure trove of research work done on textiles. There is information on textile recreation done for the Viswakarma exhibitions, Tantavi project and more. The Centre has done some pioneering work on khes from Haryana. A visit to the centre, the sampling unit, library and resource centre is wonderful.

Chandni Chowk Kapada Market

Our series on cloth or fabric markets in Delhi continues.... 

I know you will probably laugh when I say this, but that there is a designated Kapada Market in Chandni Chowk which only sells kapada or cloth or apparel. However to a casual shopper or observer Chandni Chowk is one huge kapada market and with an equal number of shops selling mouth watering delicacies.

Chandni Chowk has been a preferred sourcing market for ready made garments. Although the market does sell to the retail customer, the bulk of the business comes from the wholesale buyers. The wholesale buyers range from small shopkeepers from Delhi, those who own across the city to shopkeepers from smaller towns like Panipat, Patiala, Rourkee, Dehradun etc.  It is not uncommon to see shopkeepers from Rohini, Sangam Vihar or Kalkaji make a trip to Chandni Chowk when their respective markets are closed to pick up stock from Chandni Chowk.

The USP or unique selling proposition of the market is the wide availability of traditional Indian garments. Its strong point is the lehenga, salwar kurta, kurtis in a host of fabric. The range covering chiffons, georgettes, cotton, terrycots, woollen to hakoba and summer wear. The sets are available in the entire range of sizes. The buyer has to either buy all sizes in a particular colour or in a particular size a  minimum of 6 to 8 pieces. It is the sheer variety which is mind boggling. Most shops specialise in one or the other garments. So there are those specially dealing in work or zardozi wear, there are those selling only cotton wear. So popular has readymade garments become in Chandni Chowk that it has spilled over from the traditional Cloth Market to other markets as well. Even lanes of Nai Sarak (known for its second hand books and paper) has a number of shops selling garments as also those in Dariba Kalan. The crowded bylanes do brisk business and is choc a block on Saturdays.

Apart from readymade garments, fabric is available in plenty. The number of little shops that appear at each corner or a gully is astounding for the initial visitor.

Then there is the Kinnari Bazaar for as the name suggests Kinnari. It is ideal for shopping for zari, borders, laces and zardozi. The Kinnari earlier were made in pure silver threads with real gold covering. Now it is lurex, copper zaris and the like which rule. There are several shops which still real stuff. It is known for the zari work. Most of the work is made in the bylanes of Chandni Chowk itself. Katra Neel again in Chandni Chowk is known for its muslin, cotton, silk and much more. There is so much diversity that one needs to research and one can truly come up with gems.

Timings – 11 am to 7 pm (Monday to Saturdays). The market is closed on Sundays.

Where  - Chandni Chowk. Enter through the main road. Shish Ganj Gurdwara Road. The Cloth market is situated towards the end. You could query the rickshaw walas or shopkeepers.

Highlights -  The shops are a plenty. Go with your instincts and pick up what you like.

Insider Tip – The market has the latest that is available. There are shops at the back side and in the bylanes. Several shopkeepers have their godowns there. Once you strike a friendship with the shopkeepers and are a regular, the place is easier to navigate. Bargaining is possible to an extent.

Nostalgia – The Rs. 12.50 Student’s Bus pass (Sade barah bus pass)

 

Yes, the Rs. 12.50 Student’s bus pass from DTC which remained unchanged for decades. A little increase to even Rs. 15, was met with such resistance from DUSU (Delhi University Students Union), that no one, I repeat no one dare increase it :):). Of course, there was a problem of renewing it every month. An alternative was to get it made for 3 months. It meant freedom, licence to travel anywhere in any DTC bus…Those days, needs were simpler and U special were the norms.

These memories were refreshed during a conversation with my cousin Pradeep.  They moved from Delhi to Ahmedabad a good 20 years ago. Born and brought up in Delhi, he has not visited Delhi since. So in all curiosity he queried about the status of Delhi buses. Amidst hoots of laughter and shouts we discussed the DTC buses saga. The DTC bus was replaced or over run more like it, by the much condemned Red Line. Having been contractual buses, they would stuff to capacity. Would call passengers by hitting on the outside of the bus. The shouting – Newda (Noida), Naraina, Bartania (Britannia factory on the way to Rohini)…was imitated. Pradeep had his old bus pass which he gladly photographed and sent. I think, I may have mine somewhere…will add to this photo if I find it.  The pink colour bus pass was made at Scindia House which was DTC’s headquarters. He asked me if the old yellow green standard DTC buses still ran.

I said an unfortunate "no", they have been replaced by a fleet of smart buses. There is the green one, the airconditioned red one and of course the electric vehicle the blue one.

I have been caught with life – work, home, hearth, friends…that there has been nay a time for nostalgia or reminiscing. Transport within Delhi was, "less said the better". Then Metro happened, as did Uber, Ola, BluSart and Rapido. Driving a car made life simpler, the roads were not this crowded. Now of course, navigating the roads and driving is a task and the reflexes one needs to avoid wrong lane, wrong overtake will put a race car driver to shame. Travel within Delhi became simpler and even thinking of buses or our travels to DU has been a distant memory. But those memories of idle time sitting at bus stops, watching the world go by, wasting time seems a thing of the past. I am not sure how DU students travel, whether there are still DU specials. The routes of various buses seems to have changed.

Maybe in the coming blogs, I will visit the DTC bus depots. I am told there are four types of buses – green, orange, red and blue. Blue being the e-buses. Buses are free for women….watch out for more on DTC and the current mode of transportation.

Govindpuri wholesale market for garment accessories

It must probably be inertia or the lack of finding something exciting to write about, that the blog has languished for so long…. It is not as if I am not travelling or seeing but in this world of home deliveries and online sales, the discovery of something rare and new has taken a back seat…so what we write of newer trends, newer places and hopefully the spark will come back. And it did.. my love for textiles brought back memories to markets in search of newer sources of textile accessories. 

So we bring a series on a recce of textile, apparel and accessory centres in Delhi. Apparel, garments and textile are the vocabulary of every city. 

However, in Delhi these markets be it for fabric, apparel, garments or accessories have been redefined to become sourcing hubs. What has contributed to the development of these markets is the presence of a huge export houses in the area. In the 70s garment export was huge earner and several factories came up in Okhla Industrial Area, Mayapuri, these then relocated to Gurgaon and Noida. Today, they cater to the domestic market as well. To cater to the growing manufacturers the raw material and accessory manufacturers set up store. Also markets came up for disposing off stock lots left over from manufacturing be it garment or fabrics. 

One of the markets which has grown in importance in recent times is Govindpuri. Actually a slum, it became affordable factory or manufacturing space for small time accessory dealers and manufacturers since it was close to Okhla. Okhla became the hub for exporters. At the same time, small time fabricators also set up shop here. Govindpuri today houses many well known accessory manufacturers, wholesalers and dealers. Be it threads, buttons, zips, laces there are rows upon rows of shops selling stuff. The place is a typical crowded mayhem of shops, shoppers and narrow alleys. There are gallis or by lanes dedicated to each product. Apart from wholesale rates for bulk buys, the latest in fashion requirement is available here. So buttons follow international dictates apart from the desi avtaars, threads a variety and hue of range is available as also laces, zips, tags, labels, washing instructions. It is an ideal place for bulk buyers. A couple of foreign designers who are working on upscale or recycling products source their entire requirement of threads from these by lanes. The range of threads is mind boggling, be it cotton, organic, polyester, silk, mix of polyester and silk. Even with colours it offers plenty of choices. Govindpuri is the preferred destination for garment manufacturers and designers given the wide variety of offerings. 

The market is not well defined. The area closer to the Metro opposite the fruit market houses the machinery people who sell sewing machines both branded and assembled. Cutting tables, cutting equipment, and the like.. The markets housed into lanes or galis. The Galis then have packing bags in wholesale, zippers, magnetic clasps for clutches, accessories lace, wooden beads, buttons. There is a wholesale shop selling threads from Coats India (Anchor), Vardhman threads,

Timings – 10.30 am am to 7 pm or so. The market is closed on Tuesdays. However since several of these garment establishments cater to exporters or commercial establishments who are closed on Sundays. They are likely to be shut on Sundays. 

Where - Govindpuri.. Easily accessible from the Govindpuri Metro Station. The Violet line has a stop there. The market is a short ride in an auto or a good 15 minute walk. 

Highlights – One can get a variety of wooden beads for conversion into accessories. One can also get cowrie shells in bulk. There are hundreds of small factories who do everything from tailoring, finishing, dyeing… several do hand embroidery especially zardozi. Zari embroidery is well known here especially in the Tughlakabad area. Tughlakabad and Sangam Vihar have a lot of craftsmen and craftswomen. Most work on a piecework system but will want a decent size order. They will not care for single or a few pieces. 

Insider Tip – Despite the wholesale tag, shops will sell small pieces even one or two at wholesale prices. For bulk one will have to negotiate. If you are a regular visitor, the shopkeepers acknowledge that and will give you good quality and prices. I have gone there on a random basis and have picked up things for my textile experiments and 1/10th the prices as quoted in Lajpat Nagar or other local markets. One needs to explore, assimilate and then the process of buying becomes simpler. One can also get good craftsmen or workers for embroidery, beading, making bags. Several stringers or job seekers come to the shops enquiring for work. A tie up may lead to a good worker. 

 I have written on certain textile markets in Delhi, which can be read here… 

1. Janpath - textile hawkers from Gujarat

2. Shanti Mohalla

3. Gandhi Nagar