Kokan bazar at Dadar stocks freshly bottled aam ras from Govari, cashew from Vengurla and wooden toys from Sawantwadi, all made by women along the Konkan belt, as part of an initiative that seeks to rehabilitate them
Kokan bazar at Dadar stocks freshly bottled aam ras from Govari, cashew from Vengurla and wooden toys from Sawantwadi, all made by women along the Konkan belt, as part of an initiative that seeks to rehabilitate them
When American poet William Ross Wallace wrote The Hand That Rocks The Cradle Is The Hand That Rules The World, it was a tribute to motherhood. He described it is as the driving force for change in society.
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TISS graduate and former marriage counsellor Nayan Khadapkar decided to implement Wallace's philosophy.
Kokan Bazar located in the heart of the middle-class neighbourhood of Dadar is a one-stop shop for more than 150 products sourced from villages along the Konkan coast.
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| Nayan Khadapkar holds a up plate of healthy Ragi Papad. |
Kokum juice and cashewnuts from Vengurla, dried fish and sweets made with peanuts and jaggery from Malwan, wooden fruits and toys from Sawantvadi, turmeric and coconut products from Nerur, Alphonso mango squash and Jackfruit chips from Govari have landed in the city thanks to Khadapkar's initiative that helps rehabilitate women from the Konkan.
Some widowed, others divorced or underprivileged, the women behind Kokan Bazar pool in their skills to bring Mumbaikars fresh local produce.
Khadapkar is the link connecting 125 women with the urban consumer. Profits are redirected towards projects undertaken for the welfare of women.
Khadapkar's favourite story lies in a pack of Urad Dal papad sitting on one of the shelves. Dipti Kolwankar, a native of Kankavli, started making urad dal papads after her finances dried up when her husband suffered a stroke.
Today, 30 other village women work with Kolwankar, happily rolling out their signature papads that sell under the brand name Disha Papads.
"Dipti is just one of many," says Khadapkar, throwing a glance at Sharwari Mhatre who works as part-time cashier at Kokan Bazar when she's not bottling ginger, methi and flax seeds chutney that the shop stocks.
At: Kokan Bazar, Shop no 15, ground floor, Sena Bhavan, Dadar (W). Call: 24389707
