One of the items on my list of things to buy in Bhuj was a pair of silver earrings.
Kutchchi women are stunning to look at (example is above) and they wear the kind of jewellery I absolutely adore: silver and striking.
An evening of shopping in the market of Bhuj, the capital of Kutchch, had been assigned and all of us (six women) had our lists ready. Mine was the most selfish one. I only wanted to buy silver for myself.
As I've mentioned before, I like to google local artisans and artists before I get on that plane/bus/car to explore a new place. This time too, I had jotted down names of two jewellers who came recommended by bloggers who'd been to Bhuj and bought silver.
BUT!
But, the universe had other plans for me, or so I thought.
1. Our stop at
Khamir, made us all hanker for the earrings Juhi was wearing and so the name of
her guy was added to all the lists.
2. The longer than expected time we spent at Khamir meant we had less than expected time to shop in Bhuj.
3. After checking in, lunch and a brief rest at
The Bhuj House, we left for the bazaar in such a cackle of excited chatter that the little piece of paper with the jewellers' names got left behind, forgotten.
There we were--our band of six women-- with one mission in mind--to find Juhi's jeweller.
Our 'where is ...?' adventure took us through the winding and busy bazaar roads of Bhuj. Many blank looks and knowing nods later, we found his shop.
YES!
No. Not quite. It was shut. Closed. With no board of reason hanging on the door.
The sun was setting over the ancient walls of the city and on my silver aspirations.
"Let's just find Soni Bazaar." suggested Apu.
Soni is to jeweller like
sona is to gold.
I hope the shops are still open, I thought while immersing in the hullabaloo of the bazaar. Carts, cars, bikes and rickshaws jostled with each other to get to their destinations. I was enjoying the chaos. It reminded me of my childhood visits to Paltan Bazaar in Dehradun. How can antiseptic malls even come close to this celebration of everyday life?
Now, think Arti...maybe you can recall the names you scribbled on that list...think.
Soni, I thought...the first name on the list sort of sprang up. The shops were open. My steps became more purposeful. All I had to do was to look for a 'Soni' something.
Ha! guffawed the atoms of fate...Ha!
Every, yes each and every shop on this street of jewellers has a board which starts with the word SONI..i.e. Jeweller so and so.
We entered a shop. Saw a few wares. Apu tried on a pair. S liked one too. I stepped out and told the rest to carry on while I checked out a few other shops down the street.
Somehow, I found what I was looking for at a shop.
They fit. I strutted a bit in the mirror held by the salesperson, imagined myself as a nomad for a few seconds and while I was doing all this, my roving eyes spotted a necklace.
Can I try this please?
I did and loved it so much that I bought it.
Happy with my purchase, I asked for their card. He handed it to me and we said namaste to each other. I left.
'Psst...psst...hey Asha....are you awake?"
Asha was sort of snoring softly. She was not awake.
It was gone past midnight. I was having trouble sleeping. We'd had our dinner and all of us had gone to bed by ten. The following day was packed full of palaces to see. We needed our rest.
"Hey...Asha..." loud, raspy whispers from me made Asha turn.
She's a darling friend. So instead of clobbering me on my head, she opened her droopy eyes (actually I couldn't see them as it was dark in the room.)
"Wh...whaat?"
I turned my phone on. I can never find the torch thingy so just used the lit up phone screen to show sleepy Asha two things:
1. The card above and 2. the scribbled address on my list.
They were a perfect match.
"Can you believe it?" I almost shrieked.
"Wow..." whispered Asha softly before rolling her head back on to her pillow...the soft snoring had started before I had had time to get up from my kneeling-beside-her-side-of-the-bed position.
The rest of the group were given an update of my amazing discovery over breakfast the next morning.
It's very difficult for me to save my new purchases for a special day. I wear new stuff as soon as or soon after I get it. Who knows how long I have on this planet? Why save my best for a Sunday I may never see?
So, the next morning, I wore my new silver necklace and we left to explore Aina Mahal in Bhuj.
"There's a tiny shop tucked in a corner just outside the main gate. He's got such lovely stuff." informed Apu when a couple of us had finished our tour of the palace and were waiting for the others to gather near the car.
"How far?" I asked.
"Just ahead..." pointed Apu.
I had to go. So I went.
A few minutes later, I was standing outside the shop, peeping in. A friendly face looked up.
"Come in." he said.
I stepped in, partially blinded by the strong sun outside. Before I could gather my wits and vision, he, owner of the friendly face, had jumped up and come right in front of me.
"Where did you buy that from?" he pointed at my necklace, his eyes twinkling.
I told him.
"Do you know, my grandfather is the only one in Bhuj who can make these silver beads?"
"Really?"
"Of course. We supply these to other jewellers here. Every jeweller has a specialty and this is ours."
Silver Serendipity!
The beads
Jay, the smiling one, showing me the sheets of silver that are rolled into these silver beads.
His card.
You don't always have to buy silver to bathe in its evanescence, sometimes you can make do with poetry that comes with it.
Window shopping in Zagreb:)
"Before my breath
the moonlight hovers
how pleasing,
I find myself shining."
And window shooting in Dubrovnik.
S is for smile too:)
Have you ever had an Aha! moment while shopping or afterwards?
Or
Any serendipitous moments you'd like to share?
I'd love to find out:)
Enjoy a serene Sunday.
Ta ta for now.
Till we meet again.
Banjara women wear a silver band that sits across their head and they hook their earrings from these bands, so the pair she sold me didn't have a post, just a hook.
