The sounds of salesmen shouting “ garma garam...garma garam.. 500 rupyae mein do ” makes one think that a steaming delicacy is on offer, but it is actually a holler to entice people to buy sweaters at Janpath market.
With the temperature dipping, hordes of people have been visiting the market to stock up on track pants, sweaters, jackets, mufflers and other woollens available in all sizes. It is an effort to jostle your way through the market and it requires a good eye to spot something nice in the piles of apparel on sale. Salesmen have the upper hand as even the best of bargaining skills fall on deaf ears as one is pushed away by the crowd if the deal is not struck soon.
Divya and her entourage of friends from college work hard to haggle for tank tops. She says: “Since woollens are so expensive, I buy two or three sweaters or a jacket in basic colours from branded stores and team them up with colourful tops and accessories that I pick up for very little on the street. This allows me to create many looks the entire season.”
A mother of a three-year old says cheap deals at Janpath are the best because her son will outgrow clothes bought this winter by next year.
“Sometimes you get lucky when an export reject consignment floods the market. I once picked up an overcoat here for Rs.1,000 while the same thing was being sold for Rs.8,000 in a shop in the inner circle. Today, however, I have had no such luck,” says Rama who had come from Panipat.
A plate of sweet potato chaat or coffee at DePaul’s can be a welcome break before elbowing your way back to try your luck again, hoping the salesperson would have had a change of heart.
