The Indian Ferriwalli! The Antique collector. Elsie Gabriel

The Indian Ferriwalli! The Antique collector. Elsie Gabriel

This is a story about an eco friendly saree clad lady who gives retailing a good name and promotes preservation of the old dying art of traditional textiles and ancient art works by selling door to door, home to home!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saroj Parmar has sad green blue eyes, beautiful in her rustic ways, all of 52 but  looks about 35. You can see the lines on her forehead just above those pretty eyes, born of the pain and more from the sunrays which have coloured her tan graciously over the last 35 years that she has been knocking on doors to sell her wares. She is the eco friendly retail ferriwalla or rather ferriwalli, but with a difference. She not only recycles old sarees, ancient coins, picture postcards of the British era pre independence,carved silver bangles and armlets  and ancient Parsi borders but carries the ‘market’ on her head saving the ‘retail’ marketing strategy .

Born in Surrendranagar Gujarat in a tribal area,Saroj knows a buyer when she sees one. Her looks are meek but here mind is sharp from experience. She has observed the nova rich women who will not invest in antique Jamewar shawls and rather opt for the  nylon shimmers that modern malls offer ,Saroj knows which piece in her bundle of clothes will fit whose pocket, she also knows how to show and how much to hold back, she is a smart retailer, she has learned the art and psychology of selling from sheer practice. Saroj has visited almost every state in India, every remote corner to investigate and drill out the antiques which many people throw  away or give away for money. She has also  visited villages in the jungles and remote deserts, and cooked with women on fires all over the country.  Saroj is a free bird, she markets in her own time, own space ,own pace and own style. Saroj’s example encourages us all to dust off our rigid dreams  at some given time or once in a way and rediscover the joy, the exuberance, and the hidden free spirit that so many of us bury when we become adults.

Why she was awarded by Young Environemntalists Programme trust the Womens Achievers awrd is simply because she leaves no carbon footprint while conducting her retail marketing. Saroj carries her shop on her head and hands, she has no menu and does business by word of mouth. Saroj’s story is unique. Saroj’s wares have no expiry date, simply because she collects and sells antiques! Iam so glad I found her. No plastic bags to sell her goods nor advertising just references and word of mouth. 

Spending the day with her, educated me enough to rewind, refresh and reuse all my old beautiful clothes in the cupboard and recycle and wear them again, as I pleased. And never mind being called the repetitive queen, as long as our clothes are clean and washed well before reuse. This Nomad had come a long way. when I offered to drop her by car she said she had a taxi waiting all day for her retailing business, smart gypsy woman. Saroj has the same taxi guy for the last 15 years and hires him whenever she is in Mumbai, Imagine….so much for the H.R. tactics I need badly…  

While I said bye to her, I recalled how India did have salt traders,Ayurvedic healers, snake chamrmers,jugglers, Grindstone makers or basket makers. I remember the ‘walnut’ kashmiri vendor who would visit every winter just before Christmas with his basket full of walnuts on a turban so intact……not to forget the knife sharpening guy who would chisel and sharpen knives on his cycle gadget right in front of the door..remember…? huh…..

It’s a dyeing art of selling retail, this ferriwalli cried when she took to the stage at Meluha the Fern ecotel,Powai Mumbai during our award ceremony and scanned the crowds with teary eyes and called out to her husband in the audience for some confidence as she was speechless and all she said was…my husband was a street vendor and he taught me the art of selling retail and I dedicate the award to him …she was the only one to dedicate the award to a man on womans day!

Behind every successful woman ,there is also a man, sometimes…..ever thought of that!!