Pashmina from J&K, spices from Egypt top draw at global expo

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 17

Handwoven pashmina shawls, carpets and spices brought from Egypt remained a major attraction for the residents here at ‘The Delhi Bazaar’, a 5-day international expo being organized at Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall.

The shawls, having traditional Kashmiri designs inspired by the Mughal era and the Irani artifacts, grabbed eyeballs at the expo. Fazil Ahmed, a Kashmiri salesman displaying the handwoven articles, said it took 10 months for the craftsmen to weave the carpets that were used even in the ancient palaces owned by the emperors. Besides, the shawls, the prices of which ranged from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh, were designed in a time period of almost a year and to maintain every inch of the design, only one craftsman weaved one shawl. “Exquisite fabric called Kanikar is not just a piece wrapped loosely around the shoulders or to cover the head. It is the story of the snowy valley of Kashmir,” he added.

Likewise, impressed by the purity and natural essence of the spices and dry fruits imported from Egypt and Afghanistan, people tend to purchase them without sparing a second thought. Isa Mohammad, a trader from Abu Dhabi, who was present at the counter, said he had been setting up his stalls for the last eight years in Jalandhar and people never returned empty-handed.

Kamaljit Kaur, a resident of Mota Singh Nagar, said she didn’t find such refined spices anywhere else in the region, although these were a bit costly. He displayed high quality walnuts, anti-diabetic green zeera from Afghanistan, juicy anjeer, dry black kishmish for maintaing the blood flow in the body and enhancing the glow on the face.

With the motto of, “Use bamboo, save environment”, dealers from Delhi have also come to promote and sell articles made up of bamboo. Juhi, a salesperson, said she had displayed various eco-friendly products like bamboo pillow, bamboo stoles, towels, hair wrap, yoga mats and carpets made up of raw bamboo and several other items of daily use. Besides, dresses and outfits, and jewellery from the UAE and Dubai were also a centre of attraction for the women.

Attracted by the Rajasthani embroidery on the handbags and home decor items made up of marvels, Pinki, a resident of Model Town, said she couldn’t find such refined works of embroidery in the city markets and had cut a good deal with the Rajasthani traders on the bags after a bit of haggling.

Shiv Kumar, an 18-year-old Rajasthani craftsman said he has been designing the marvels since the age of 10 and all his family members and neighbours were dependent on these marvel items for home decor to earn their livelihood. Mostly, resin stone and marvel dust is used to create the structures and fountains, even designed with the images of the Buddha. The decorative items were available in the price range of Rs 2,000-Rs 30,000.