Underground underwear: Tina Bazaar, Lajpat Nagar 2

 Wonderlust: Tina Bazaar, Lajpat Nagar Market, Lajpat Nagar II               Photo: Abhijit Patnaik

Not many know about this wonderland of a corridor, hidden in the heart of Lajpat Nagar market. Tina Bazar is known only as far as excited whispers can travel. 


Four of the 12 crammed shops in this underground market sell the objects of many a desire in Delhi—lingerie, provocative yet inexpensive.


Enter the market, from the security barricades opposite 3C’s cinema. Surpass the shoe shops on either side, and turn left into an alley of more shops, people and clothes. About 250 metres into the hustle-bustle of this busy lane, on your right, is a blink-and-miss signboard indicating Tina Bazar. A cue to the wonders it holds: dusty mannequins in dowdy underwear. Don’t judge this book by its cover. Walk down the little staircase, and lo and behold, you’ll be greeted by colours—uninhibited fuchsias, slinky blues, tarty reds and risqué animal-prints.


It’s paradise, if you’re on a budget and have a date planned. The underwear here leaves little to the imagination. “Tina Bazar has saved so many relationships,” says Rhea, 21, a regular. “The bras may not last too long, but the boyfriends do!” she laughs.


At Rs 80-200 for Bras and Rs 40-100 for panties, one can hardly expect them to last a lifetime: a year, if worn carefully and occasionally. But, a few months are your best bet.


“I don’t wear these on an everyday basis. Maybe once in two weeks, to make me feel attractive,” says Sara, a college student.


The cotton tie-up panties for Rs 50 are a steal. “The panties last longer than the bras. They are comfortable and a good buy,” says Radhika, 22. “I tell my boyfriend I shop at La Senza but I pick up panties from Tina,” she confides.


There are a variety of fabric options—lace, lycra, satin— in every possible colour. The shopkeepers are polite and proper so you can shop without any sort of awkwardness.


This market isn’t just for underwear. There’s something for everyone here. The 12 shops primarily sell cosmetics, household electronics and clothes. You can stock up on lotions and potions—most popular brands are available.


“People usually come to buy clothes, and end up buying other small things like cosmetics and undergarments,” says RK Arora, the owner of Roop Nikhar, shop number 8. His shop is stocked with bath products, deodorants, cosmetics and lingerie. There are also silicon bras, fishnet stockings and some warm vests. “Most of our products are imported from China and Thailand,” he says.


Pradip Kumar’s shop sells menswear, and is quite well known. He is the oldest shopkeeper here. “This market is 25 years old and has remained just the same,” he says.


Satiate your appetite


Once you’re done shopping, head out from the other end of the corridor. On the left is a vendor selling Indian condiments. The spicy churan is a mood lifter. Walk straight to the end of the street till you see the Chennai Central restaurant. Just outside, are the famous Lajpat Nagar momos. Try the chicken momos (Rs 40 for 8) or the vegetarian (Rs 30) ones.

If you prefer chaat, then right next door is Jack & Jill Fast Food. Try the crisp aloo tikki (Rs 40) or the chatpata gol gappas (Rs 20).


In brief:
What: Affordable lingerie
Where: Tina Bazar, Lajpat Nagar market, Lajpat Nagar part 2
When: 11 am to 8pm (Closed on Mondays)

The view from a bubble

"Living in a bubble can be a beautiful thing."                                                    HT Photo
      --Pallavi Gurtoo, the girl in the bubble                                                                        `     

Picture this: the open sky, breeze in the air, a fort in the backdrop, and you, lounging in a big bubble, floating on a lake. 
Alternatively, think of this: the same setting, except you’re crawling, walking running, bouncing and falling—doing whatever it takes to manoeuvre the bubble you’re inside. Sounds interesting? 


Well, it is. 


Delhi Tourism, last week, introduced Zorbing or “water walking” at the Purana Quila lake. For now, they have four water balls, with a diameter of 6.5 feet. You climb into the deflated plastic ball through a zipper, and one of the staff will fill the bubble with air from what looks like a big hair dryer. Once the ball is inflated, it is zipped up, and the ball-enclosed-you are pushed in the water. A rope is attached to the ball, which a staff-member holds on to, for pulling you back to the shore when your time’s up. 


You can attempt to walk, but odds are you will fall. “It needs practice, you can only crawl at first, but once you get the balance right you’ll be able to walk on the water,” says Vikram Paul, Assistant Manager (Water Sports), Delhi Tourism. 
The staff certainly can. It looks easy as ABC when they demonstrate it, but once you’re in it, you’re in for a big fall. Crawling, and attempting, however, to walk is a lot of fun in itself. 
“You can hear your own breathing magnified. Like those movies when you’re stuck in a well—except this is fun,” pants Pallavi, 21, as she is unzipped from the ball.


“It was very nice. I’m definitely coming here again, and again—all the way from Pitampura,” says Shefali Agarwal, a jewellery designer. 


One water walking session is 15 minutes long and costs Rs 50. “It also burns as many calories as jogging for 30 minutes on the treadmill,” adds Paul. 


You can also lie on your back and relax, while the big bubble lazily floats. The cool water below and the warm sunshine above: it’s a great way to unwind in this weather. The fort looks even more beautiful through this giant clear ball. 


More to float your boat


The lake also has pedal boats and shikara boats (motor boats). A 30 minute ride on the pedal boat costs Rs 50, while two rounds of the lake in a Shikara, approximately 5-10 minutes, are for Rs 120. 


The area can keep you occupied for a week. The Purana Quila—Delhi’s old fort with it’s magnificent pre-Mughal design mosque Qila-i-Kuhna, gateways and other structures make for a fun trip for history enthusiasts. The fort is also a venue for the spectacular sound and light shows (Rs 80) every evening—in Hindi and English. A good way to end the day. 


Adjacent to the fort is the massive Delhi Zoo with over 2,000 animal and bird species from all over the world. You can visit it (Rs 20 a ticket) on all days, except Friday. 


List of Lifeboats:


1. One person per ball 
2. Take off all sharp objects like earrings, belts, hair clips, you don’t want to puncture the ball 
3. No footwear allowed 
4. Leave your dupattas and scarves outside. You don’t want things getting in your way inside. 
5. Not for the claustrophobic or pregnant women.
6. The ball has enough air to last over 30 minutes


What: Zorbing
When: 11am to 6pm (Oct 1 to March 31) and 12pm to 7pm (April 1 to Sept 30) 
Where: Purana Quila lake 
How much: Rs 50 for 15 minutes 
Closest metro station: Pragati Maidan on the blue line

The scent of the city: Ittar is Delhi

Zam Zam Perfumers, Nizamuddin                                                        HT Photo 

“For people could close their eyes to greatness, to horrors, to beauty, and their ears to melodies or deceiving words. But they could not escape scent … He who ruled scent, ruled the hearts of men,” wrote Patrick Süskind in the 1985 novel, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.

Meet the ittarwallahs of Delhi. As the city stocks up on Chanel, Dior, Ralph Lauren and the like, the whiff of the timeless ittar lingers on.

Gulabsingh Johrimal in Dariba Kalan is like a magical apothecary: neatly labelled bottles like those of an ancient hakim, and colourful glass bottles that seem to belong in a Mughal begum's bedroom. The antique wooden shelves are lined with a dusty collection of Belgian cut crystal decanters—bearing testimony to the history of the shop. Established in 1816, this is perhaps the oldest and finest perfumery in the walled city.

“Traditionally, only a pure fragrance mixed with sandalwood oil was called ittar. But, now every Indian perfume without alcohol is passed off as ittar,” says Mukul Gundhi, one of the brothers managing the shop, adding that “The concept of blends is a Western one.”

“Pour some ittar on one palm, rub your hands together, and brush them against your clothes to transfer the fragrance—it lasts longer on clothes than the skin.”

They make both synthetic and pure ittars—ranging from Rs 30 to Rs 10,000 for 10ml. Even within pure ittars, the price varies depending on quality and the concentration of the fragrance. Their most popular, gulab ittar, costs Rs 600 for 10ml and smells of a sweetened desi gulab. The Ruh-Gulab (spirit of the rose), their highest priced, is for a whopping Rs 10,000 for 10 ml. It is made without any sandalowood oil, just the extract of roses. The first notes don’t seem like roses at all, but, strongly remind you of something expensive and exotic. In a few minutes, however, it’s a rose garden in full bloom.

Ittars are to be changed according to the season. While the emerald green Khus (Vetivert) and Gill (the smell of wet earth) cool the body in the summer, Hina (a mixture of herbs and spices) is a favourite in the winter.

They should be chosen on the basis of the temperature of a place and the temperament of the user, “mausam aur mizaaz,” says Mohd Salman, the owner of Zam Zam Perfumers in Nizamuddin. 

Colourful glass bottles dot Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin—there are many, many ittar shops. Vendors on the street, outside the Ghalib Academy sell synthetic scents too. Right opposite Karim’s restaurant, is Zam Zam—a rather well-known ittar shop since 1990. A mattress covered with fresh white sheets and bolsters is laid on the floor, allowing customers to sit comfortably while choosing the concoctions of their choice: the blends made by Salman, a self-taught perfumer.

“Some 1500 years ago, an emperor travelled to far flung areas with extreme climatic conditions. To control his body temperature, he started using ittar. Unfortunately, now people pick the ittar on the basis of its fragrance,” he says.

Zam-Zam caters to a varied clientele. They blend several fragrances to make new ittars. Fawakeh, a mere Rs 25 for 2.5ml, is a sweet, warm blend of fruity notes. The shop's many foreign customers prefer lighter scents, and Salman captures Western-esque scents in tiny glass bottles for them. 

But, he says, people should take some precautions while wearing scents. “Djinns are attracted to fragrances. Women shouldn’t use them outside their homes.”

The Mathurs have been in the ittar business since 1932. SK Mathur, one of the four siblings, manages the store in Paharganj. He grew up amidst fragrances and tales of the erstwhile days, when ittars were patronised by connoisseurs. His late grandfather, who started the family business used to regale him with anecdotes from the colonial days. The shop, adjacent to the the Badi Masjid, was part of the daily routine of those who visited the mosque. “They would mix some attar with a little hair oil, and rub it in their hair, every day before going in for namaz.”

Mathur recalls how his grandfather made ittar. “He would spread til (sesame seeds) on a blanket, cover it with a layer of rose petals, add another layer of til and another of petals, till there were about 4-5 layers… then separate the two. Til absorbs the frangrance of the flowers.” The essence was then extracted with in a Kohlu, a wooden grinder of sorts.

“Ittars are too expensive, Indians can’t afford them anymore, plus people are enamoured by Western perfumes,” says Mathur. In the sixties, many “hippie-type” foreigners started visiting India, specifically Paharganj. They were very fascinated by the charming glass bottles and the scented liquid inside. So, the Mathurs started exporting under the subsidiary R Expo. Sales are flourishing, but it’s mostly export.

Perhaps, one of the most frequented ittar shop in Delhi is Arihant Fragrance, in Janpath. With an increase in the standard of living, ittars have become a necessity, say the shop owners. A tola (11 gms) of rose, mogra (arabian jasmine) or rajnigandha (tuberose) is prices at Rs 300, while Khus and Hina are priced at Rs 800.

Mehboob Perfumery Works in Matiya Mahal, Jama Masjid claims to be one of the oldest in the city. Painted pink, its mirrored shelves are covered with ittar-filled decanters. Syed Tahir is a seventh generation perfumer. “We had a shop in Dariba, but after the 1947 communal riots, we moved to Matiya mahal,” he says. Tahir, a young perfumer, says that ittars are no longer worn the way they are supposed to be. “Traditionally, a piece of cotton, with a few drops of ittar, is to be tucked in the ridge of the earlobe,” he says.

Gundhi explains why, “Every time you wanted to smell it, you’d push your finger onto the cotton in your ear, and sniff the then scented finger.”

You see, back then, Gundhi adds, “perfume was worn for the self, not for others.”




Ittar
n.
1. Traditionally, a perfume made by mixing a pure fragrance with oil
2. An Indian perfume made with flowers, spices, or herbs. 
Origin 
Derived from the Persian word atr, which means fragrance



Get heady

Gulabsingh Johrimal, 320, Dariba Kalan

Ph: 23271345, 23281345
Zam Zam Perfumers, 4/1, Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin

Ph: 20087483, 24357368

R. Expo, 1115, Main bazaar, Paharganj

Ph: 23588456

Mehboob Perfumery Works, Shop No 969 Jama Masjid

Ph: 9818836742


Arihant Fragrances, 
17, MM,  Janpath
Ph: 3353949