Photos I From Hills to City: How Delhi's Tibetan Woollen Market Keeps You Warm

The market is open for four months from October to February.

The Tibetan market in Meena Bazar near New Delhi's Jama Masjid offers a variety of wollen clothes.

(Image altered by The Quint/Namita Chauhan)

Every winter, Meena Bazaar, the ground of the Jama Masjid, hosts Tibetan refugees from different parts of the country. People of Tibetan origin set up this market for around four months, from October to February.

The market initially commenced in Subhash Park. It was later relocated to the Red Fort ground, followed by a shift to the parking area of Chota Ram Leela ground, before eventually settling into its current location in 2016, i.e., Meena Bazaar ground. The market commences at 10 in the morning and closes at around 7 in the evening.

The market offers a variety of woollen clothing items, including sweaters, scarves, shrugs, socks, coats, and more. I, along with my colleague, visited the market on 28 January.

Tsering Phuntsok, a 41-year-old resident of Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh, has been setting up his shop in the market for the past 25 years. His father used to sell goods in the same market before him. Tsering informed us that the Tibetan New Year- Losar is scheduled for celebration on 10 February this year, and the market will be closed by 5 February. Typically, the market remains open for customers until mid-February every year.

The Tibetan Refugee Woollen Association serves as the regulating body for the market, conducting elections every three years to establish a committee. Lobsang Chomphel, 53, the vice president of the association, retired from the Special Frontier Force, also known as Vikas Battalion. He mentioned that one must own a shop within the market to qualify for membership in the association. "There are some rules inside the market. Tobacco products and alcohol consumption are strictly prohibited. One cannot argue or fight with customers. There is a fine for those who violate the rules,” said Chomphel.

Most people come from high-altitude areas where farming takes a back seat during winters, compelling them to seek alternative sources of livelihood. This market, comprising 138 shops, serves as a supportive means for them to earn their livelihood.

Abdul Zaleel Quazi, a 68-year-old man from Srinagar, Kashmir, came from Tibet in 1959 when he was 5-6 years old. On other months, he does embroidery work in Srinagar. Quazi expressed, "Winter is quite problematic for me due to my age; there is less work, and the temperature drops below zero degrees. My family insists that I should spend the winters in Delhi and come back in February when it is not so cold." In his younger days, Quazi used to sell sweaters in Kashmir.

Phurbu Dolma, a dedicated 56-year-old social worker and President of the Regional Women's Association in the Tibetan Settlement of Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi, expresses her concerns about visa-related challenges due to nationality issues. Dolma says, "Our children who wish to study abroad often face difficulty obtaining visas. Similarly, we encounter obstacles in exporting our goods to other countries." As per section 3(1)(a) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, the children born to Tibetan Refugees between 26 January 1950 and 1 July 1987 shall be treated as Indian citizens by birth. Dolma's family has been in the same business for over 50 years. 

We learned that there used to be significant competition among shopkeepers regarding pricing, with the same items available at different prices in the market negatively impacting both sellers and buyers. However, the stress of bargaining has been eliminated for the last six years since the introduction of the fixed-price rule. This simplifies the decision-making process for buyers and enables sellers to provide consistent and fair pricing throughout the market.

Goods sold here come from different parts of the world, such as Nepal, Ladakh, and Ludhiana, making it a significant attraction for Indian and foreign tourists. After the market closes in February, any unsold goods are returned to the owners, and this cycle repeats annually.

Authors' Bio

Anushka Kogta is a master's student of convergent journalism at AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia, with a keen interest in photography and video production. She likes to write on education and development.

Md Kaifee Alam is a student of convergent Journalism at AJK MCRC Jamia Millia Islamia. He has a keen interest in politics and sports.