Page 15 - Seniorstoday September-2023 Issue
P. 15
The Pinjaras were traditional cotton awe of the snake and this man’s ability to
carders who carried a little contraption make the snake follow his sign language.
on their shoulders with a wire that they Unfortunately, both the road shows
twanged as they went around from locality have vanished. So much so, that the
to locality. They opened up the mattress Naag Panchami festival can no longer
and the razaais and re-fluffed them once be celebrated because the animal rights
again. They would use the same cotton and groups want you to feed a plastic snake.
re-stich a quilt. With the new mattresses
and pillows that have come into the ● Flovaa
market, a Pinjara is no longer needed and
this business too has faded out. Now in
small lanes and bylanes, they are tiny
shops selling mattresses and pillows.
● The Madaaris and Snake Charmers
Much before cut flowers became a business,
a vendor would come home once a week
with a big flat basket shouting ‘Flovaa’ and
buyers from their balcony would signal
him to come to their flats. Once a week he
would visit a different locality and it was
always enjoyable to buy flowers with a
Completely disappeared from urban cities little bit of higgle haggle. This man went
are the jugglers, the monkey shows and away long ago.
the snake shows. Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals Organisation have ensured that ● Ice cream vendor
these people cannot perform any more in An Ice cream vendor would come shouting
the urban towns. They are shunted out to ‘Kulfi Malai Kulfi’ and serve two scoops of
the small towns and villages to run their hand-churned milk ice cream on a leaf with
shows. The monkey juggler came with his a piece of card paper that one folded and
own vocabulary and phrases. Children used as a spoon. There was also another ice
loved the show and the man entertained cream vendor who would come on a cycle
and made his audience laugh. Everybody shouting Kulfi Kulfi. He had a wooden
who looked at the snake charmer was in vat from which he would pull out a metal
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #51 | SEPTEMBER 2023 15
