He proudly shares a long list of clients, ranging from the Ambani and Pawar families to film personalities and sportspersons including Kiwi cricketer Ross Taylor.
He proudly shares a long list of clients, ranging from the Ambani and Pawar families to film personalities and sportspersons including Kiwi cricketer Ross Taylor.
, When we remember Ladi Sa, we go (When the daughter-in-law remembers us, we leave),” said 64-year-old bangle seller Abdul Sattar Biba, who runs the popular bibaji churi walas in the old city.
The small shop specializing in lacquer and glass bangles is one of the rich Rajasthani culture and its deeply syncretic roots. Whether Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s wife or former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Mr. Sattar’s clients are spread across the political and social circles.
‘Trust my choice’
Interestingly, there are no bangles on display, as Mr. Sattar feels that his customers trust his choices and he puts out the best for them. He proudly speaks of his family’s 150-year association with the Rajput rulers, a time when the Umaid Bhawan was not built. “Until the early 1970s (when the Privy Purse was abolished), no women of the royal family came to the market to shop. We had to go to his house. And I was one of the very few people who had access to the living room.
The association began when his grandmother Mary, affectionately called Bibi, started serving hand-made bangles in royal homes. “She often took my father Mohammad Baksh with her for help. One day someone called her Biba and the name Bibi Biba stuck. Similarly, when I turned 15 my father started taking me along and no one objected.
When reminded of an incident where a Muslim bangle seller was allegedly targeted because of his religion, Mr. Sattar says there is no such sentiment in his area. “All my patrons are Hindus because it is the sacred symbol of Woman having her husband alive (marriage) in one’s own religion. Our relationship is one of trust.”
They say that a practicing Muslim wears Islamic symbols such as a beard, but they are never judged. “The old ladies of the house introduce me as Mama and the daughters-in-law touch my feet,” says Mr. Sattar.
He says that there is no such religious tradition associated with bangles in Islam. “Muslim women started wearing bangles because they grew up in this culture.”
When asked about the Karva Chauth rush, Mr. Sattar dismissed it as part of Punjabi culture. “Women in Rajasthan buy bangles for Diwali.”
lehariya bangles
She says that in olden times women used to wear only red colored bangles, but as the culture of matching started, they were forced to try different colours. “Now, we make lehariya Bangles in lacquer to match traditional tie-and-dye sarees. Earlier we used to use only glass, crystal and lacquer, but now plastic is also being used as it offers more options. But the followers of Hindu tradition avoid it. We also tell them that it doesn’t go with our culture.”
Mr. Sattar says there was a time when women used to guard their glass bangles so carefully that he removed the bangles he had helped them to wear a year earlier.
His son Mohammad Irfan says the same for Jodhpur’s mixed culture. “The city has never witnessed communal clashes. But in recent months there have been two incidents which could easily have turned into a major incident, but both the communities understood the political intent in time.”
He says that Vasundhara Raje has no communal image, but it remains to be seen whether she will be fielded as the chief minister’s choice.
Another important source of income for Mr. Sattar is the cantonment areas where the wives of army men have few options to buy. “My name is in his books. I have just returned from Bathinda Cantonment.”
Mr Sattar and his family have been serving families across political lines and proudly share a long list of clients – from the Ambanis and Pawars to film personalities and sportspersons. He remembers how Kiwi cricketer Ross Taylor went to the shop during the 2011 World Cup. One of Mr Sattar’s biggest regrets is that he did not recognize former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when he offered her his wrist during the wedding of Mukesh Ambani’s daughter in 2018.