For the longest time, I've found an indescribable sense of pleasure in foraging for beautiful antique objects all over the city, and adding them to some corner of my house. I mean, heading to a high-end home decor store and shelling out big bucks for fancy showpieces is always an easy option. But there's nothing quite like stumbling across a unique artisan collectable, feeling like the meeting was just meant to be, and taking it home with you after paying a price that sounds reasonable to any logical set of ears. And when you foster a liking for an activity like this, it doesn't get better than India as your playground!
So, this is a tad embarrassing for me to admit, but it was as recent as mid-2019 when I first discovered Banjara Market in Gurgaon. I still remember the first time I stepped foot in the sprawling flea market, and my eyes feasted on the kaleidoscopic objects on display. From glass to ceramic and from wood to clay, there was no dearth of exquisite handicrafts and antique decor items up for grabs. And at the end of that first haul, my over-eager self was officially the owner of an oversized vintage mirror, a gorgeous bedside lamp with intricate mirror work, some lovely plates and bowls, and a hoard of splendid trinkets. So suffice it to say, I left well acquainted with what Banjara Market actually was, a gold-mine for decor enthusiasts in Delhi NCR!
My romantic relationship with Banjara Market continued to be on and on, and every other weekend I found myself heading to the decor gem in Sector 56 Gurgaon, just to pick up a new favourite addition to my room. And then, as we all know, a pandemic brought everything to a sudden, jerky stop. To be entirely honest with you here, I did underestimate it in the beginning, assuming everything will snap back to normal shortly. But a couple of months and no respite in sight later, it became clear that it's going to be a while till I paid my favourite home decor flea market another visit.
So just imagine my utter, unadulterated delight, when one fine day my Instagram suggestions had Banjara Market listed. I did a quick double-take and hastily clicked on the page. And I wasn't disappointed one bit. Started by Srishti Tehri and Tapasya to help the artisans and traders of Banjara Market earn a livelihood during this pandemic, Artisans Of Banjara is where we can now snag all those gorgeous, budget-friendly home decor items from again!
Image Courtesy - Artisans Of Banjara on Instagram
Artisans Of Banjara is a tremendously noble initiative run by two wonderful women, and a great opportunity for us to get charming trinkets and decor antiques in return for helping these merchants and sellers stay afloat during a very challenging time. A small additional amount for packing and delivering is added to the price of the product, and the orders are delivered across the country. How it works is, the website www.artisansofbanjara.com goes live every Sunday with new products up for sale. The orders are accepted on a first come first serve basis, and once the stock is sold out, the website becomes inactive until the next Sunday.
If you place an order, you can expect it to be delivered to your doorstep in 7 to 20 days. Some patience is warranted because of the small team handling the whole affair. But don't you worry, we can help them get bigger, and also spruce up our homes in the process!
The last Sunday stock was sold out in just 38 minutes, so needless to say it's advisable to be as quick as you can be. For more information, you can visit Artisans Of Banjara on Instagram.