Local dates (‘khajoor’) gave way to imported varieties and traditional ‘besan mirchi’ to burgers and pizzas, designer sherwani’s have replaced the traditional ones while e-shopping has taken over the customary Ramzan market visits.
Despite the shift from customs and traditions in the run up to the Eid-ul-Fitr, the handmade vermicelli or ‘seviyah’ continues to hold its sway. Year after year, this variety continues to give a tough competition to the machine made variety.
It is the magic played by bare hands that continues to sway the market. “First, we mix maida and salt with hands and then we pound the dough. It is spread evenly into strings and dried in the sun. It is a laborious process. A family of six persons can prepare about 25 to 30 kg only in a day,” says Aslam Khan, a vermicelli maker at Yakutpura.
Handmade vermicelli continues to be in great demand as people prefer to use it as an ingredient in the mouth watering ‘sheer khurma’, the desert served on the Eid day. A kilo of handmade vermicelli costs between Rs. 120 and Rs. 150 while the regular machine made costs less.
“The machine made is not used as it forms into a pulp when mixed with milk while the handmade floats in the sheer khurma and tastes good,” Yasmeen Begum, another vermicelli maker says.
Several traders from Gulzar Houz, Afzalgunj, Nampally, Tolichowki and Musheerabad place orders with the vermicelli makers at least four to five months before the advent of Ramzan. Many businessmen from adjoining States are also placing orders, they say.
Women take to the tradeThe age-old trade despite its popularity and demand is finding difficult to hold its ground owing to the laborious work involved in making it. Youngsters especially men are no more preferring the trade.
“Women are slowly taking over the vocation from men. Not only hard work but low profit is also pushing men away from the trade,” says a woman who learnt the vocation from her mother-in-law.
To top it, this year the rains have played the spoilsport for the tribe.
`“Although we have started work two months ago, we are racing against time to complete the order.
The moist weather conditions spoil the stuff. If we fail to fulfil the promise, next time traders will not place orders,” said Syed Naser, a fourth generation family member engaged in the vocation.
His family is one amongst the ten families from the old city who are into the vocation for decades. “Our ancestors were the first to introduce vermicelli in the city.
Those into the trade are mostly members of our extended family,” he claims.
