Don't get disillusioned by the rows of stalls selling printed cotton nighties at the ongoing regional Saras. As you walk past these shops to the other end you are bound to discover something for yourself. Stalls from Kerala have brought in their signature Kerala saris, dhotis, banana and tapioca chips. There are pickles to be chosen from stalls of Nalgonda, West-Godavari and Vizianagaram.
The aroma of spices tickles your senses as you come closer to a stall with lots of tiny packets stringed and hanged. Cardamom, clove, bay leaves, javitri, black and white pepper — the list is endless. The crowd gathered at this stall from Kerala selling un-adulterated spices speaks of its popularity.
As this is one-stop shop for direct selling by producers the prices are kept under control. The Kalamkari appliqué patches for plain saris and cholis is a good option to give a new twist to your traditional six yard. One pack of the patch has several motifs and comes with borders to be stitched on to saris. Pre-washed and vegetable-dyed, these colourful patches go well on plain materials.
Pickle lovers can take their pick from mango to tomato, bitter gourd and gooseberry. The pickles are as they ought to be, spicy and salty. Those looking away from the common pickles can opt for, chicken, prawns and fish pickles. These pickles score more in the spice meter. The women selling these pickles have a reason “the more spicy they are, the longer will the non-vegetarian pickles last.”
Stalls from Madhya Pradesh have brought in indigenous incense sticks made from dried flowers. For sporting options, stalls from Rajasthan has bow-arrow, catapult and sling shots. The bows are collapsible and come with a shooting range of 90 to 40 meters.
Another stall has special clay pots for setting curd, they come in varying sizes with lids. Besides these, there are others who have brought replicas of Japanese fans. The exhibition, which is on at Necklace road, ends on February 16.