I'd gone gemstone shopping for my next collection - but could not, as usual, overlook all the visual stimulation that Old Delhi (Chandni Chowk) has to offer. From the way the jeweler's tools are stacked neatly in shelves to the bright scarlet bundle of devotional scarves that sits bathed in the April mid-day sunlight, to the window display of bundles of delicate lace stacked together. And of course all the food! The colours, textures, aromas... and changing with each season too. Here's just some of what I experienced this week...
I love these stores - they're well-stocked and they follow a neat organizational schemata all their own. When you ask for something, the store-owner knows exactly which shelf to go looking into. I've almost never been disappointed...
One of the many colours of Hindu devotion - a bundle of devotional scarves used for pilgrimages and as offerings at temples.
A motley collection of trimmings and embroidered yolks. I love the blue stool that stands outside the store - for a tired customer or when it gets too cramped inside for the store-owner. Imagine sitting on one of these, sipping on a hot 'cutting' chai and watching the crowds move by.
In all the squalor and dirt, a window display of delicate tatting and
cutwork lace.
A loquat vendor - proudly sells his fresh produce.
Packets of sweet corn and green choliyan...
Green chillies and limes...
Another loquat vendor - I love his mobile stall.
Naan Khatai: ghee, flour, semolina and sugar - put together and baked right in front of you on the hand-cart in a make-shift oven. Irresistible!
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