A unique craft store

At first glance, the store called "Himalayan Dowry An Anti-Dowry Store" seems like any other place dealing in Kashmiri handicrafts, except for its name. Only on enquiring, would one realize that there is more to this outlet situated on M. G. Road. Incidentally, it is in the basement of a building near the office of the Printers (Mysore) Pvt. Ltd. (publishing Deccan Herald, Prajavani, et al).

According to the website of the store, it traces its origins to an establishment in Kashmir in the year 1809. This was founded by a great Sufi and healer, Kh. Naqi Ali Shawl from Hamdan in Persia. He apparently introduced the trade in shawls to the world and his descendants hold the title even now. Zafar A. Shawl runs the Bangalore unit started in 1988 on Commercial street, originally. It stocks a range of Kashmiri jewellery, pearls and precious stones, Pashmina shawls, hand woven carpets, silverware, brass and wood work, painted and papier mache pieces, etc.

Rani Vijayadevi, Thakurani of Kotda-Sangani and a sister of Jayachamaraja Wodeyar, the last Maharaja of Mysore, inaugurated the present shop in Bangalore in 1990. As per records, an exquisite Jamawar shawl and sparkling jewellery were sold to Rajalakshmi, Rani of Shawaganga and Rajkumari Kamakshi Devi, a daughter of Jayachamaraja Wodeyar, respectively. At one time, the store was one of the two private shops from India to be listed in Let’s Go (India and Nepal), the world’s best selling budget travel series book. The outlet exports handicrafts across the globe and attracts customers from everywhere. It is authorised by the ministry of commerce, government of India.

Why the name?

The phrase Himalayan Dowry was derived from a 14th century ritual where a girl’s family would give a Himalayan stone as a dowry to a prospective groom. The boy’s household would reciprocate the gesture. However, if the girl did not like the alliance, she would return the stone. Zafar Shawl says, "We want to take people back to an age when dowry was was a beautiful concept and not a curse". He is a certified gemologist and crystal healer who studied in the city and has spent most of his life here apart from some years in Europe.

Owing to objections from women’s groups who thought that he was promoting the exchange of dowry, Shawl added the words An Anti-Dowry Store. Further, from 1992 onwards, he has been assisting victims of dowry harassment in Bangalore and Kashmir by counselling their husbands and marital families. Some of the items in the outlet are made by women who have suffered due to the dowry menace. The funds from the sales are redirected to the ladies themselves. "Our anti-dowry effort is a voluntary one. We do not wish to become an NGO or promote this activity specifically", shared the modest Shawl. He has reached out to more than fifty ladies in distress. There is also a helpline which connects women affected adversely by the dowry system to people who are experienced in handling such cases. In keeping with the renewed focus on gender crimes, Shawl has also initiated efforts to sensitize students in high schools and colleges about the issue.

Reach Shawl at himalayandowry@yahoo.com or 98450-34419

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

‘Banni Nodi’: How a place-making project is keeping history alive in modern Bengaluru

The Banni Nodi wayfaring project has put KR market metro station at the heart of a showcase to the city's 500-year urban history.

KR market metro station is more than a transit hub in Bengaluru today, as it stands at the heart of a project that showcases the city's 500-year urban history. The Banni Nodi (come, see) series, a wayfinding and place-making project, set up in the metro station and at the Old Fort district, depicts the history of the Fort as well as the city's spatial-cultural evolution. The project has been designed and executed by Sensing Local and Native Place, and supported by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) and Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).  Archival paintings, maps and texts,…

Similar Story

Wounds of cyber abuse can be deep, get expert help: Cyber psychologist

Cyber psychologist Nirali Bhatia says that parents, friends and relatives of sufferers must not be reactive; they should be good listeners.

As technology has advanced, cyber abuse and crime has also increased. Women and children are particularly vulnerable, as we have seen in our earlier reports on deepfake videos and image-based abuse. In an interview with Citizen Matters, cyber psychologist, Nirali Bhatia, talks about the psychological impact on people who have been deceived on the internet and the support system they need. Excerpts from the conversation: What should a person do, if and when they have fallen prey to a deep fake scam or image abuse? We need to understand and tell ourselves it is fake; that itself should help us…