More than his cup of tea

Nalini Ranjan meets Laxman Rao, a Hindi writer who runs a tea stall to sustain himself

Laxman Rao, who has 16 books to his credit, earns his livelihood by selling tea. — Photo by AFP

At first glance, one may pass him off as a chaiwala (tea vendor), but even a casual chat with him is enough to grab your attention. He sounds like a political commentator, argues like a philosopher and talks about his creative works like a critic. Fiftyone-year-old Laxman Rao runs his own publishing house, Bharatiya Sahitya Kala Prakashan, from Vishnu Digambar Marg, ITO, Delhi.

Situated between the Punjabi Academy and Hindi Bhavan, Rao prepares and serves tea from his roadside tea stall under the open sky. To customers who throng his wayside shop, he boasts of having written 18 books so far, including a variety of novels and plays.

In his first title, Nayi Duniya Ki Nayi Kahani, he wrote in 1979, he narrated the hardships that he faced and the massive will he mustered to elevate, and then sustain himself as a writer. His play, Pradhan Mantri written in 1984, was an outcome of his encounter with then Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi at the Teen Murti Bhawan in 1984. "I completed the play in three months. The plot portrays the Prime Minister in a social set-up with her subordinates responsible for corruption. I was thinking of gifting the first published copy to her, when the news of her sudden death shocked the entire nation." He published his next novel, Ramdas, in 1992. It was sold in over 200 schools in Delhi. Recently, he was conferred with Inderprastha Sahitya Bharti Award. In Parampara Se Judi Bharatiya Rajniti, Rao has incorporated the experiences of his struggle.

Born in a family of farmers in Amravati district, Maharastra, on July 22, 1954, Rao’s fondness for Hindi literature saw him complete his matriculation in Hindi medium from Mumbai University in 1973. "In Class VII, I got addicted to Gulshan Nanda’s novels. Pundits of literature never recognised his writings but they proved very useful for me to write lucidly in Hindi."

As a child, Rao was quite fond of reading but the thought of becoming a writer never crossed his mind. A young boy, Ramdas, was drowned while taking a bath in the river. The incident was such a shock that Rao looked for an outlet to vent his intense pain and he decided to write.

Circumstances forced him to give up studies after Class X and he began working in a local spinning mill to earn extra money. After the closure of the mill, he started assisting his father in the fields. "I was never at peace with myself. I was scared of calling it quits and surrendering to life’s trials," he recalls. With Rs 40 in his pocket, he left his hometown and headed for Bhopal in 1975 in search of greener pastures. He worked as a labourer at a construction site but as he says, "I did not let the tribulations demoralise me. After a couple of months, the fear of losing my creativity made me board the train to Delhi. I landed here on July 30, 1975."

After wandering about jobless for some time, he sought shelter for three days at the guest house in Birla Mandir. During the day, he worked as a mason at construction sites and washed dishes at a roadside tea stall.

Daryaganj’s famous Sunday Market became a hunting ground for Rao. He read works of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Karl Marx, William Shakespeare and Lenin. Realising the need to educate himself, he gradually aquired a Bachelor of Arts from Delhi University as an external candidate.

Rao will never forget the day he was preparing for his exams sitting at his kiosk, when a demolition squad of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) came. The kiosk was given to him by Pepsico. "They razed my kiosk on July 19, 1999 terming it illegal. It shattered me and was the most painful time of my life. I applied for the kiosk again in 1981, with supporting documents, including court and MCD challans, but the authorities were apathetic."

Laxman’s writings are woven around ground realities of life. As he says, "I have led a turbulent life and I understand the intensity of feelings of others in similar circumstances. My books epitomise the struggle and triumphs of ordinary people in a realistic manner."

Rao recounts the rejection that he faced repeatedly, "I approached a number of publishers in Daryaganj but all of them, on one pretext or the other, turned me away. One of them even said ‘get out’. Now he is his own printer, publisher and distributor.

He lives in a rented house in Shakarpur in East Delhi with his wife and two sons, Hitesh and Paresh, and is now busy writing Pattiyon ki Sarsarahat.

Today Rao’s books can be found in various branches of the Delhi Public Library and at some school libraries. Despite making a name for himself, he has not earned from his writings. Whatever he earns from the sale of one book goes into publishing the next one. "My wife Rekha is my best critic. She often gets frustrated and says if you still have to sell chai and paan, why write? But I know she is proud of me as a writer and as a responsible father and husband," he says. The plight of Rao is a comment on the system which does not value creativity.

Marriages remade in Rajasthan

They came all the way from Down Under for a cardiology conference and, swayed by the colours and culture of Rajasthan, took the opportunity to renew their marriage vows in traditional Hindu style.

Perfectly marrying tourism and business, five Australian couples wed earlier this week at a local hotel with swirling lehngas, bejewelled brides and grooms on horses in evidence. And, of course, the mandatory seven rounds of a sacred fire with a priest chanting Vedic mantras.

According to Shwetang Mahashwari of Rainbow Vacation Tours, who organised the rituals, the couples were part of a group of 115 Australian cardiologists who came to India to attend a conference with their wives.

"The idea of a mock marriage was suggested by us when they demanded some exclusive event during their sightseeing programme. Excited by the idea of getting married in traditional Hindu style, they randomly selected five couples among themselves," Mahashwari said.

He said the most exciting bit turned out to be when the five grooms dressed in traditional attire sat on horses, just like in a regular baraat.

Bollywood, too, added to the fun with their doctor colleagues dancing in abandon to the latest film ditty in the wedding procession.

The five Australian couples are not the only ones to get carried away by the sand dunes, forts and colourful rituals of India’s only desert state. It is increasingly turning out to be quite a money-spinner and the latest tourist attraction.

According to trade estimates, about 150 such weddings are organised every year in the state. Several tourist towns like Pushkar, Udaipur, Jaipur and Jaisalmer have emerged as major centres for these rituals.

Karan Singh of Surya Tours says most tour operators have now devised special packages for these marriages, which range from three days to 15 days.

"Even some local hotel chains are selling wedding packages," said Singh.

A normal wedding arrangement costs Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000, including a dinner party for 30-40 people.

He adds, "Generally we receive bookings directly from abroad. Couples mostly ask for traditional arrangements. Some rich couples are willing to spend huge amounts in hiring old forts, palaces and other heritage properties to experience the real charm of Indian weddings." After all, what better way to inject some more romance into your lives than renewing vows in a stately setting with all the fun, colour and festivities that go along with rituals in India. — IANS

The pehchan of Zaveris

Dhananjaya Bhat on India’s most famous jewellery bazaar

Zaveri Bazaar sees gold transactions worth more than Rs 50 crore every day

The gold jewellery industry in India is estimated at Rs 65,000 crores and Bombay’s Zaveri Bazaar or the street of goldsmiths is the most important jewellery market in the country. This market owes its origin to Marwaris and Gujarati jewellers, who migrated to Bombay in the 1860s as they felt that the law and order situation provided by the British Government there was excellent. The oldest shop is the famous Tribhuvandas Bhimji Zaveri (TBZ), which opened in Zaveri Bazaar in 1864 and is still going strong with the fourth generation of zaveris, most of them MBAs and making new innovations in the jewellery business.

If you were to go to this market, you would be surprised at the dusty and dirty surroundings of the establishments. It’s wise to visit it in the morning hours, for by noon it is impossible to walk down the street. There are more than 1,500 jewellery shops in the area, with 2,500 karkhanas employing more than 15,000 skilled artisans. In 2002, a 1345-sq ft shop was sold for Rs 4.7 crore or Rs 35,000 per sq ft, the maximum in India.

Jewellery has a place in every major occasion in a person’s life in India, from the simple ear-piercing ceremony of a child to the 60th wedding anniversary celebrations and there is special jewellery for each of these celebrations, and you can buy these treasures in Zaveri Bazaar. All kinds of Indian jewellery, unique to different regions, be it a rakodi (hair brooch) of Tamil Nadu or the filigree work of Orissa, is made here.

What is the everyday transaction in this famous bazaar is still unknown but in 2003, after a terrorist blast in the bazaar, financial experts came with the figure of Rs 50 crore per day. If you take into consideration the transactions of the diamond industry, which is closely allied to the jewellery trade, then the business done in Zaveri Bazaar skyrockets by another Rs 100 crore per day.

Gold prices that are set in Zaveri Bazaar act as a benchmark for jewellery prices across India.

But two years ago, when Tanishq brought its "carat" testing instruments to Zaveri Bazaar and the ordinary buyers could test their jewellery for a modest sum, 75 per cent of the tested gold treasures were below the stated carat value and according to expert jewellers, for every 100 gm of gold you were losing Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000.

These revelations have led to the hallmarking and branding of jewellery. The market for branded jewellery is now estimated at Rs 600 crore.

There are shops in Zaveri Bazaar where only special items are sold. TBZ is, of course, the biggest shop selling a multitude of gold/silver treasures and as one customer pointed out, when you ask for water in the shop, you get it in huge pure silver tumblers.

As many Maharashtrians prefer to shop for jewellery which comes in 23 carats, there are some shops that cater to the traditional Maharashtrian designs. If your daughter is going to get married, then take a look at the dulhan sets sold in Danabhais.

The traditional dulhan set comprises a necklace, a pair of earrings, a ring, a bajuband (armlet), kandora (for the waist), damdi (for the forehead), a pair of kangans (bangles) and jhoodo (key chain), all totalling to 800 gm of gold.

With fourth-generation goldsmiths entering the market, there have been some remarkable innovations in Zaveri Bazaar. In the recent years, a new trend has surfaced  — that of designer jewellery stores.

With the coming of these stores, jewellery buying is considered more a fashion statement rather than an investment. These stores showcase the works of young jewellery designers, and also retail jewellery brands. The designs available in these stores are unconventional and exclusive.

Many Zaveri Bazaar firms have opened branches in the suburbs of Mumbai. With so many jewellery shops opening in the suburbs, do people still come all the way to shop for their jewellery at Zaveri Bazaar? Yes, says Nirmal Zaveri, owner of a shop in Zaveri Bazaar.

"It is not true that Zaveri Bazaar is dying. People are opening other shops and branches in the suburbs but the reputed shops are still at Zaveri Bazaar. And, this bazaar remains the traditional market for doing the Dasehra-Divali shopping." — MF

‘I aim to develop santoor further’

Ehsan Fazili talks to Bhajan Sopori, the acclaimed musician from Kashmir

"Music is a reflection of one’s inner self. I express myself through santoor. I look at everything through santoor. It is my medium of communication," says Pandit Bhajan Sopori, who has been playing on the instrument for the past five decades. Sopori was in Kashmir recently to perform at the Lal Ded Festival, which coincided with the golden jubilee celebrations of the Sahitya Akademi. The classical santoor, now known as Sopori baaj, has received international acclaim.

Sopori’s association with Radio Kashmir, Srinagar, dates back to 1954, when he performed there as a six-year-old boy.

In 1974, he joined Radio Kashmir as an artiste. He has also been associated with the All-India Radio in Delhi.

The santoor maestro launched the Sopori Academy of Music and Performing Arts (SaMaPa) along with his son Abhay Rustum Sopori in August to "bring music to the masses."

"We wanted to create an institution where artistes can showcase their talent. They would also get an opportunity to perform in Kashmir", he said. "The academy aims to encourage not only classical musicians, but also regional folk artistes and provide them with a platform at the national level", he adds.

"Our culture is diverse and Kashmiriyat is not restricted merely to dress. It comprises a deep philosophy", he points out. "There have been many poets and writers in Kashmir who wrote in Urdu, Persian and Sanskrit. Unfortunately, they have been in oblivion", he lamented.

On the santoor, Sopori said it was popular in the higher echelons of society. "The instrument has remained associated with Kashmiri Shaivism and also Sufism, without much change", he adds.

Sopori, who comes from a family of musicians, is regarded as the torch-bearer of the rich musical legacy of the Sufiana gharana of Kashmir. He was initiated into santoor by his grandfather, Pandit S. C. Sopori, and later also got encouragement from his father, Pandit S. N. Sopori, veteran state musician.

During the mid-1950s, he performed many a time at the residence of the then Prime Minister of Kashmir, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad. His first major concert was held at Allahabad at the age of 11. Besides a master’s degree in instrumental music, specialising in sitar as well as santoor, he also studied western classical music at Washington University, USA.

Sopori has the distinction of composing 4,000 songs in various languages, including Persian and Arabic. His compositions also include patriotic songs. He has also the honour of making Vande Mataram’s first instrumental version of more than seven minutes, instead of two minutes.

"My aim is to develop the santoor further", he says.

Sopori also received recognition in Iran, from where the musical instrument is believed to have reached Kashmir. He recalled the comments of an expert after one of his performances in Iran: "I thought santoor is only Iranian. But today I found that it is as Iranian as Indian". According to Sopori, santoor has come to represent our cultural ethos and sensibility.

(Photo by the writer)