Ajmer

I wanted to bring something back to Delhi when I was in Rajasthan. As I roamed around the markets, I realised that nothing there felt uniquely “Rajasthani.” Everything available could’ve easily been ordered or found in Delhi at the same price. I kept thinking about how this lack of seasonality probably came from mass production and capitalism in general. Then I stopped at this one place it had these beautiful bags displayed right at the entrance, and from there, I could see a temple inside. It clearly wasn’t a regular retail shop. Most likely, they manufactured things there and sold them in bulk to other places. No one greeted us or tried to catch our attention, which was very unlike other shops where sellers were constantly trying to make a sale. A man was sleeping there, not caring about anything. On the side, some craftsmen were making the products that were also kept for sale. The moment I saw that, even though the shop looked expensive, I was determined to find something within my budget because I could tell this was actually Rajasthan. And I did find something. I had a great conversation with that man, who wasn’t willing to negotiate at all, and it was still really nice. The whole thing felt strangely anti-capitalist. Like how we read about the separation between production and the final product here, I could literally see the craftsmen working beside what they made. It was so fun. Then another anti-capitalist moment happened when we ordered an Uber. I didn’t realise how much of a luxury it is to have Uber in Delhi. There, drivers would accept the ride and then message to negotiate a higher price, which I found hilarious. They were using this huge capitalistic structure, yet still asserting their own agency. It was funny, and it made me think a lot about capitalism in my daily life. Buying that bag made me really happy, even though it was a bit crazy. But now I think maybe it was just performance activism. And yeah, that’s all.