Alaknanda Market

Alaknanda grew into a little place in its own right in the late 80s. From a market built by DDA and buildings sold by private parties, the market developed. It was a wonderful little market with shoppers from far off coming to shop there. It had an excellent shoe shop called Lucky shoes which had the best of designs. There was a nice saree shop called Neera’s sarees. There was Bhatia who had the most amazing salwar kurta ensembles. Renu’s had cassettes, audio and video ones. He graduated on to selling imported rip offs from Taiwan, Hong Kong etc. Good set of tailors. The market place was the typical Delhi market place where everyone knew everyone. It was like a family where the shopkeeper and customer cared about each other and their well being. There was a family camaradiere.

Those days are no longer there. The arrival of ATMs and Banks changed all that. Suddenly a lot of shopkeepers upped and sold. So, the nice salwar Kurta shop of Bhatia became a notary shop. The designer ware shops changed hands. Lucky shoes gave off his shops to a Bank and so on. But several others and orginals stay and are doing well. Both Airtel and Voda have their dedicated shop. Renu is still there and now sells garments exclusively. They have a good range. There are two silver shops, one at the entrance and the other inside. Both have decent collections. Shagun Jewellers at the entrance used to sell some fantastic silver jewellery especially the export varieties from Jaipur. I have been a sucker and have bought quite a bit. He used to be someone who is to say, “achhi lagi to le jao, paise badh mein aa jayenge” and yes, the payment was prompt and there was no problem. Renu has sent home sweaters and T-shirts for my Dad when he was unwell and Daddy had loved shopping from home! Nagarik, the shoe shop has a There are some spiffy tailors, the good drycleaner – Mercury, The Mehendiwala, watch repairer, chemist…it is worth spending time here. There is a little Mini Market from behind the Post Office. It has the usual legal documentation centres, property dealers, electic shops and a couple of eaterires.   

Where – In Alaknanda. It is on the main road from Greater Kailash II. From Savitri Cinema turn right and keep going down straight. You will hit the T-point. This is the last point, beyond this, the road hits a dead end. At this T-point turn left and keep going down straight crossing Don Bosco School and St. George’s School on your left. The market is beyond the red light after Godavari Apartments.

Timings – Morning 10.30 am to 9 pm. Tuesdays are closed. But most remain open on Tuesdays, especially in the evening. Some shops open by 9 am also.  There is a fully functional Post Office and four Banks.

Highlights – There is a good shoe shop called Nagrik. It offers some excellent range for daily and fancy wear. There are a couple of shops selling cosmetics and stock a wonderful range. There are quite a few momo stalls in the evening. There are a couple of paranthawalas and kulchawala who work in the afternoon.

Insider Tip – Bikanerwala has an amazing array of cakes. All eggless and a huge range of flavours to choose from.  The owner loves to experiment and there is an exotic range to choose from. As also their range of ghevars, gujiyas and other mithais. There is  boutique who has been running it for a long time now. Namita stocks good wares. Sahni General Store stocks almost everything and one gets a free dose of Sahni Bhaiiyas down to earth humorous tips delivered with a dead pan face. It is still a good market with a friendly set of shopkeepers. Biggest drawback, does not have a good restaurant. This is though amply made up by eateries in GK II M block market.

Jewellery Galleries and Schools in Delhi

Most exhibitions are private affairs. Huge trade shows have not been successful despite great effort. In the private shows it is the designers like Poonam Soni, Aparna Gujral, Asha Kamal Modi, Art Karat who thrive. MMTC (Mines & Minerals Trading Corporation), a large Public Sector Enterprise organizes its consumer / retail exhibition, a real treat during Diwali (the Indian festival of Lights when the Goddess of Wealth – Lakshmi is worshipped, occurs in October - November depending on the Hindu calender). The best selling period is the Wedding and Diwali. The tradition of Diwali has Dhanteras when jewelry is bought. One of the stories surrounding Dhanteras is that it is on this day that the proverbial nectar was churned from the ocean and Dhanwantri (the physician of Gods) emerged carrying nectar. Hence this day is dedicated to worshipping Goddess Lakshmi. It is customary to buy new utensils or precious metals. Thus most shops are choc a block during this period.   Otherwise most jewelry manufacturers organize in-house exhibition for their clientele in the showrooms itself. Other places for exhibitions are usually five star hotels where it is possible to install high security gadgets for surveillance. Dedicated exhibition halls are yet to take off in a big way. The Export Promotion Parks in neighboring Noida has some well known Export Oriented Units. The Crafts Museum, Delhi also affords for craftsmen from across the country to come and sell their wares in Delhi. Most come and demonstrate their crafts as well. These include Thewa, craftsmen specializing in tribal jewelry in gold and silver from Jharkhand and Chattisgarh.

Formalised courses for studying jewelry design and making are just taking off. However, many of the various techniques like Kundan, mina, granulation or filigree are best learnt at the feet of a master craftsman or through the Handicraft training courses sponsored by the Government. Many of the hereditary craftsmen after picking up the craft from their father or grandfathers proceed to formal schools for more skills. The Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council at Jhandewalan runs two training institutes. Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery where designing is taught and Indian Gemology Institute where training is taught on gems. There are six private institutes in Delhi which teach courses in Jewelry designing and Gemology. The National Institute of Fashion Technology run by the Government teaches it in another part of the country. The curriculum revolves around designing and common jewelry making techniques of drawing sheets, wires, soldering……

Other Jewellery Centres near Delhi

Near Delhi, Jaipur is a jewelry makers and collector’s paradise. Some of the finest of craftsmen can be found there. It is also well known for its stone work – cutting, polishing, jade engraving and more. Other well known centres include: Meerut  is a well known centre. It has a concentration of more than 50,000 craftsmen. Amritsar (447 kms), Ambala (192 kms from Delhi) are other areas. Benares or Varanasi (780 kms from Delhi) the holy city is known for its silversmithing and silver jewelry.

Weekly Markets of Delhi

The weekly bazaars of Delhi are legendary. Decades ago, it was the place where everyone shopped for day to day necessities especially vegetables, plastic knick knacks, masalas, glassware etc. Most of the bazaars can be said to be held next to the villages of Delhi. The origins may have been a Haat or a market for the villages to sell their produce. With time, with urbanization of Delhi, the markets have held their place. Instead of loosing out on popularity, they have gained in numbers and the crowd that visits them. The migratory population in Delhi finds it an apt place to shop for clothes and cheaper varieties. For many lower middle class Delhites, it is a way to beat the inflation. It might not be “the” place to be seen but for many regulars it is an ideal joint to pick up vegetables and fruits. The range is wide and the prices are very reasonable. So for even the upper middle class and above, it is a place to shop for fresh vegetables.

The weekly bazaars are held all over the city, with a day specified for it at that place. Many of the sellers are regulars and are organized through an informal organization. So a seller might sit at a Budh Bazaar (Wednesday market) in one locality and for the Veer Bazaar (thurstday market) in a neighbouring place. When I was young, I remember to have bought a pair of very small glasses made of brass for playing. The seller was a local craftsman who had bought it and on my falling in love with it, my mother bought it for me. I do not know the price, but I still have the wonderful pair. At the weekly bazaar in Saket, Malviya Nagar, there are sellers who bring some wonderful wooden crafts. There are gypsy women selling their wares of iron girdles. The circuit of the participants varies, someone operating in the East Delhi area will have one market every day to cart his wares in the East Delhi area only. The same goes for Rohini, Janakpuri and more. The organizer for a small fee ensures that places are allocated and given to the same person in that market every time. There is also a sense of discipline. South Delhi has seen a reduction in these markets, but I start this series in a bid to document the various Weekly markets of Delhi. Speaking to the organizers and more importantly picking out what can be bought here, any particular ware which stands out…. Here’s to the “village markets of Delhi”, which keep reiterating that despite all the urbanization, luxury malls and fast paced metro like life, Delhi is still a gigantic village at heart!!!!

Ambarka - A haven for Studio Pottery

This one is for my potter friends – Ambar Agnihotri and his lovely wife Monica. Both are die hard studio potters who love experimenting especially with the firing, colours and glazing. They are passionate about designs, about getting the right dimensions and both believe that the ultimate pottery product is a gift of the kiln. Ambar is a trained NID designer who sketches meticulously, finishes it gives it shape and then turns it on the wheel. Monica is a natural who works straight on the wheel. Together they have created a unique line of utility products of theirs called Maatika. It is sold from their little home run gallery called Ambarka. Of course, Ambar says, “yeh Monica ka bhi hai”.

The couple sell a beautiful range of products both utility and one of a kind piece of pottery art. They specialize in stoneware pottery. The utitlity range includes cups, mugs, bowls, soup bouls, spoons, plates, serving plates and more. There are Ganeshas in all hues, lamps, diya… take your pick given the entire range of their work. There is a crystalline series of Monica while Ambar’s Sculptural Stoneware called De-construction takes inspiration from engineering works like bridges, hence the embellishment to shape giving it a precision industrial like feel – machine signs and symbols. They also teach pottery to enthusiasts.

Go take a look at their work or the gallery and listen to both of them speak passionately about pottery. It is well worth the trip.

Location: It is located in Kalkaji, opposite Nehru Place, behind Bhairav Baba Mandir.

Timings: Call before going to find either of them there.

Insider Tip: Monica also stocks Masalas, pickles made by her parents home grown business. Check out the gallery and their collection, if nothing else, you will return reformed as a pottery enthusiast or lover.