Story by – Nida Khan for IndoreHD
“In the mid 90s, our Great Holkars used to decide the rate of Cotton, which would then be followed throughout the Nation…”, this statement shared by one of city historians, gave us a thought to ponder about Indore’s untouched and rich Textile ,which may or may not have always been a talk of the town. The vividness’ of the contribution than in this segment which shaped and is reflected in modern times.
Indore, the city known for its historical structure, Rajwada, still standing tall and keeping alive the roots of the existence, spills so many beans about its surrounding streets which even the oldest and wisest people of the town stay aloof about. So, passing by the gigantic figure, moving through the shrinking historic lanes let’s take you to Cloth Market Indore. No, not for shopping this time, but just to share what this market has to say, give it a voice and let it narrate the story of its golden bygone past & begin from the first brick of its existence.
“This area, of cloth market was basically the land where Holkars used to tie their Horses and Elephants, say almost a century back”, shares Shashi Bhariyo, proprietor, Aashirwad Traders.
The roots of Textile business in Indore takes his birth from the time when the historic 11 mills were up and running which now silently expresses their grief of a lost existence. The first Mill, by name of State Mill, was formed in 1866, almost 150 years back. Few trails of the then market dominants could still be seen at MG Road, Malwa Mill, Kapda Market, etc.
“We used to hear sirens of Mills sharp at 10 am when we were in school”, shares Naseem Bano (70), historian. “Functioning of Mills was so dominant in Indore that we had about 11 mills in Indore, they used to produce Cotton which was exported in not just India, but worldwide, like England and USA. We were the pioneers in cotton manufacturing then. In fact, it was the Holkars who decided the rate of cotton which was a benchmark in the whole county”, adds Bano.
It is however now depressing to note that once the mills who ruled the nation, now lays disillusioned and soulless. With time, the backbone of mills got so brutally crushed, that they lost its virtue & the property is not even getting any takers in today’s time. Be it Rajkumar Mill, Hukumchand Mill, Swadeshi Mill, they all stand like a rooted widow, while the whole market gets dressed in bridal looms for circulation. That timeless structure Hukumchand Mill is now ready for sales at Rs.420 crore, but looking at the condition, no investor seems ready to buy it.
“There were majorly 2 reasons for Mills downfalls. Labour’s Strike and failure of Mills in modernising itself as per the latest trend”, shares Mr. Notwani, proprietor. “Soon after the downfall, Indore which was known as the biggest manufacturing hub took wholesaling & trading as the next big thing to be done in the market. It was a new direction which the mills provided us, probably in the late 1980s”, he adds.
The history of our current MT Cloth Market Indore goes back to 1906 under the reign of Holkars. Prior to running in the present area, it used to run in Bajajkhana chowk. However, following a massive fire in the same year, the need to develop a new cloth market was felt and with this, the first model of cloth market was accepted on 30th April 1922 by the Great Maharaja Tukojirao Holkar, hence, the name MT Cloth Market. Also, Seth Hukumchandji is said to provide his valuable support in developing this market.
“Basic market started between Itwaria Bazaar and Shakkar Bazaar, along with few small streets located in insides of the area. Gradually, it got stretch up to Jawahar Marg to Ahilyapura, along with Naliya Bakhal, Saantha Bazaar, Damar Gali etc.”, shares Bano while looking at the image of her old closed wholesale cloth shop. “In fact, during the 1950s, there were as little at 150 shops,” she adds sharing nostalgia.
“Presently you will find more than 2500 shops and showrooms filled with the most exquisite varieties of clothes. It is one of the most organised markets in the Nation”, shares Paresh Nema who is the fourth generation in their family textile business which is older than 110 years. “Yes, loss of mills was a high set back for the whole industry. I remember our munimji and grandfather would narrate the painful story, however, a ray of hope is still lighted which not everyone is aware of”, he smiles.
Focused on progress and growth, the proprietors then gradually started with Power Looms to continue manufacturing. Though a small percentage of people still use it keeping production alive in Indore but create a huge difference in the national market. “It is astonishing to learn, that since the past a decade, more than 35% of Ladies Kurties gets creatively assembled here and leggings holds the highest manufacturing in Indore. The cost of leggings may fall anywhere between Rs.30/- to Rs. 350/- and is traded in all the major cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai etc.” shares Nema.
His shop, gives an ethnic and original appeal, where you can see walking verandas build outside with thick walls covered with blue coloured choona mitti, keeping it cool. While the interiors are painted with the traditional yellow colour, which you can see most of the households in, the floor stuck gadde, hisaab ki kitabe and the iron peti, gives a sneak peak of how the shops might have appeared then.
“These verandas would connect all the nearby shops. It was the place where people used to walk, saving them from sunlight and rain. We have still maintained the originality since the past 100 years and never wish to change it”, he adds with a smile of pride on his face.
Passing through these thin lanes, you are sure to come across old shrugged buildings whose cracks are covered with the latest trend of clothes, paths rugged with old tiles, yellow painted walls, huge cemented gates or dwars, bundles of wires hanging on your head, through the market area. “Some buildings here are more than 120 years old. Shops run on the ground floor and above them are houses where families reside. These are those old school houses, with big rooms, wooden ceilings, small jharokhes, traditional houses which now are nowhere to be seen,” said Ajay Mishra, while he took us to his shop and then residence situated just above the shop.
“People are gradually leaving and moving to townships, but we feel that we are the guardians of this heritage. We shall not move,” he adds while looking at the beautiful glass carvings done on the jharokha’s windows.
This less than a kilometre spread area gets a daily footfall of more than 10,000 customers and sometimes even 25,000+ during festivals. The size of the shops could be as small as a 40 sq ft in area. and as huge as 4000 sq ft depending on the shop you are in. However, note that varieties in these shops will more or less be the same.
“Here production is limited, but import is always seen surging high. Also, now the market is majorly dominated by wholesalers and retailers. To be specific, you can now find more retailers here it seems to be more lucrative in monetary terms,” shares Tanmay Rohara, a retailer in the area.
Where Sarees and suits are majorly brought from Surat, Ahemdabad, Calcutta, Banaras, Delhi; men’s suitings and shirtings is called from Bhilwada, Mumbai, Delhi and lastly, Panipat for Bedsheets and towels. Major varieties of clothes which you will come across are Cotton, Silk, Georgette, Chiffon, Khadi, Belgium, Hosiery, Swiss and lots more. An uncountable variety of cloth can be created by mixing different types of clothing material.
“This industry has been providing employment for thousands of people since the past a century. You can easily find more than 20,000 people working here,” adds Rohara.
Though people here trade on highly low profits, but talking about the turnover which a shop might fetch in a year might range up to Rs.2- Rs.3 crores, if calculating this ballpark figure into industry base, it won’t be wrong to state that the number can go to higher than five to seven thousand crore! Too huge to be true!
On asking about what benefits do government provides to the people in this industry, it was surprising to learn that apart from the 1% entry tax (inter-state tax for entry of goods), no special subsidy or privileges are provided. However, as a saviour, the Cloth Market Association seems to be doing good and working towards the development of the community.
“The association was started in the mid 1920s, along with the market formation. Its complete name is ‘Maharaja Tukoganj Cloth Market Merchants Association’. It was formed to protect the rights of agents, brokers, wholesalers, traders, manufacturers and every other person in the process. The association also takes care of the welfare and well-being of the community”, shares Mr. Manglesh, who handles the accounts in Association office
The association has various wings which are run under the trust and manage several benefiting houses. Such as Indore Cloth Market Co. Op. Bank Ltd, Indore Cloth Market Warehouse Ltd, Devi Ahilya New Cloth Market Co. Ltd, Shri Cloth Market Brokers Association, Shri Cloth Market Agents Association, Indore Power loom Cloth Manufacturer Association etc. Further, keeping an eye for the welfare, the association also takes care of Shri Cloth Market Girls School, Shri Cloth Market Girls College, Shri Cloth Market Hospital and many other institutes where services could be availed at concessional prices.
Moreover, it also has Arbitration Court for grievance handling. It is a recognized body which supports the traders to settle their disputes while trading with other state vendors in India. The judgement is equivalent to the decision of Judiciary Court. “Till now hundreds of cases have been registered and resolved, which makes our people treated with fair trade practices”, shares Mr. Manglesh.
Now, comparing with the last decade, where Mall culture has seen a rise we asked Tanmay if he has seen the curve bending downwards? “No, we have customers whose generations are coming to us. As our shop is witnessing the family tree, they too come with age after age,” he says confidently. “Not many people are aware of this, but Sumitra Tai (Honourable speaker of the Parliament), Malini Gaud (Mayor) and many other eminent personalities still call for Sarees from here,” he says pointing his finger towards the framed image of Tai placed on the wall.
With time as the market seems to grow at a rocket speed, the need to develop a new market was felt and with this began the New Cloth Market on Kesarbagh Road. Spread in a huge area of about 14-15 acres, it is estimated to have more than 1100 shops. It is planned in such a manner that the present problems faced by market like related to Parking, premises, shops size etc gets sorted and a replica of MT Cloth Market could be created, this time it would be for the young & future generations.
So, next time that you visit here, try looking around and take a leap into the bygone era which still comes alive every time an aspirational customer visits the shops, buys and flaunts the pride wearing fabric brought from here. Next time, try to raise your head and salute the historic and heritage old buildings still standing high amidst the hundreds of pole wires. Next time, try to inhale the luring smell of new cloth as the shopkeeper opens the roll before you.
Next time, try to feel the fabric of not just the cloth but feel the stages which it undergoes to reach your fingers. Next time, develop some gratification for the hard-working shopkeeper who has given his generations in keeping the market alive and lastly, from now on, don’t simply shop, but re-live the bygone era, visit with a new vision and accomplishment as you are standing in not just a market, but witnessing the backbone of a mature textile industry located in the heart of the Nation.
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