varnam-talk: 1469...preserving the panjab heritage.

the store signage that caught my eye

There are a few things i am passionate about. One of them definitely being appreciating good design and shopping. I even have friends regularly calling me up to ask,"Hey da! Where would i get a nice simple paper lamp shade? " or "any idea where i can get some good furniture?...And i would gladly rattle off a few store options.

During my recent trip to the Delhi, the 'mecca' of shopping i got thinking on seeing a beautiful shop. I started feeling a desire to share my experience with my other friends. For the first time, i felt the urge to blog !!

So here i am, at the start of my all-new blog-journey. Via this blog i hope to share my various shopping expeditions and help people add to our burgeoning economy :-) . Naturally, the subject of my first blog is this sweet little store that has inspired me to blog, a store that is very traditional, very indian and celebrates Punjab...1469, on Janpath road, Delhi.


'Phulkari' duppattas

The first thing that strikes you when you enter the store are the bright 'phulkari' work duppattas. Intrinsic to the daily wear of women in Punjab, Phulkari is an intricate form of emrboidery that is striking and not to mention colourful. 'Phul-kari' literally meaning 'flower-work' originated in Punjab, in India and Pakistan.


a 'phulkari' work duppatta in striking green

Everywhere you looked in the store, one saw hints of everyday life in Punjab. The traditional fans, Parandhis- the colourful tassles that women adorn their braided hair with, pans, colourful Jhootis , purses, bangles etc.


The store at a glance...a parade of colours!

the colourful fans

the sweet assistant at the store

Colourful Parandhis!!

the stair way leading to the 2nd floor

Two floors of warmth and colour soaked in some lovely shabad music playing in the background. Every nook and corner housed something interesting... something 'Punjabi.

Below the cash counter

interesting blocks

My eye also caught some interesting knick-knacks for home inspired from the punjabi way of life...clocks, framed art-work, framed quotes in the punjabi script, block prints...

Block prints of Punjabi alphabets

Wall Clocks

Coasters ... Punjabi!!!

Framed memorabilia...promo cards of old hindi films!


i wonder what this beautiful caligraphy reads...

The store had some cool t-shirts too!!

It was a lovely one hour spent in the store. Amongst the scores of the Benettons and Zaras of the world, it is truly heartening to see stores like 1469 that give you the goosebumps and make you feel proud to be an Indian. For the sake of our arts and crafts, I hope that this store does well...after-all it is stores like these that bring to us city-morons the fragrance of our earthy villages. Amen!