Berhampur: With winter fast approaching, Tibetan refugees like every year have reached the silk city in droves to sell their winter wear, which is much in demand due to its unique quality as well as affordability.
With the onset of winter, Tibetan refugees have organised a winter market at Church Field near St Stephen’s Church in the Silk City. The Tibetans living in exile in India have been coming to Berhampur to sell woollen garments during winter and have been doing brisk business here for the past many years. The stalls have caught the attention of residents over the past years and continue to churn out a strong business every year, posing a challenge to local traders in the city.
The sudden drop in temperature during the night has jacked up the sale of the woollen items. The Tibetan refugees arrive in large numbers around this time every year for their business such as selling jackets, sweaters, gloves, stockings, rugs, mufflers, monkey-caps and shawls. To attract customers, they bring latest designs and sell it at affordable prices.
The refugees arrive in the city and stay here for about three months and return home in the month of February. The Tibetans are a happy lot as these three months mostly ensure them a livelihood for the entire year.
Huge crowds are drawn because of the quality of products and decent price. The refugees hail from Chandragiri in Gajapati district and have been in the woollen wear business since the last 50-60 years. The market is as old as 60 years providing new products and new varieties every year.
The woollen products are hand-made by the Tibetans while items made of parachute fabric clothes are imported from Gujarat and Nepal respectively. Tibetan women weave the products all throughout the year and make it ready for sale in the winter.
Keeping in mind the interests of buyers, they prepare products with more than 50 types of designs that attract buyers. Without fail, the products are sold every year bringing heavy profits for the refugees who are happy their efforts through the year have paid off.
They not only have markets in Berhampur but also travel to Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur and many other parts in the state. A range of varieties are available for men, women and children in the market. Like Orissa, they also travel to other states and sell their products.
All the items here are sold at fixed rates so that everything is sold at a genuine rate. No time is wasted in bargaining. The refugees are hopeful for a good business in the current year and have their fingers crossed.
“The sales so far have been going strong and more people will flock into the market as winter arrives,” the market president and Tibetan businessman Yentani Gadso said. PNN
