BAZAAR

ACCESSORIESBazaarAMRAPALI JEWELS``````Rabari people of Gujarat, with their perfect form andproportions, simple, geometric lines, and modern appeal. Theduo, who met in college, started working together in 1978,freshly armed with graduate degrees in ancient Indian history.They began their business as travelling merchants, sourcingunique items often made by award-winning artisans in andaround Jaipur, and selling them in Delhi and Agra.Fuelled by a deep passion for their work, and with help fromtheir eager clients in government emporia and cottageindustries, who consistently bought from them and offered newideas, their portfolio increased rather rapidly to include itemsin wood, sandalwood, and ivory. By 1981, Arora and Ajmera hadenough funds to open a store in Delhi’s Chameliwala Market.They named it Amrapali after a royal courtesan from ancientIndia, whose beauty was famed far and wide. Renouncing herlife as a dancer and surrendering herself to serving the poor andthe needy, Amrapali was the first female disciple in Lord Buddha’ssect. An icon of beauty, ability, and character, they always wantedto name their business after her.It was around that time that many of their textile suppliers,who travelled from the interiors of the country, started bringingbits and pieces of tribal silver jewellery. Arora and Ajmerabought these fragmented pieces and restrung it themselves onordinary silver wires, fashioning them into earrings, pendants,or other designs. The store was a big hit, as the jewelleryattracted a loyal clientele from the diplomatic enclave, as well asleading movie stars of the time like Dimple Kapadia, ReenaRoy, and Kirron Kher.Arora and Ajmera look delighted as they trace their journeyfrom those adventurous days, when they would spend a coupleof days every week driving around the country in Arora’s trustyMaruti 800, much like the backpacking hippies who were theirearly clients. Scouring the length and breadth of the nation,often passing by gold refineries to intercept villagers who wereon their way to melt their gold ornaments for money, theybegan building an incredible archive, laying the foundation forAmrapali Museum.Decades later, the bright-eyed pair remain partners in businessand intention, completing each other’s sentences and sharingan incredible camaraderie. The museum’s collection will remaindynamic, as they continue to find interesting pieces to add to it.Guided by the philosophy of “learning, earning, and returning”,they are set to open a design school in Jaipur by the end of thisyear based on the interactive and ancient gurukul model,bringing their signature passion and hard work to the project.Arora and Ajmera are focused on their goal of making it thebest design school in the country within the next five years.■By Arundhati De-Sheth``````(From top) Gun powder flask from Gujarat; accessories for thepreparation of a betel leaf; dastband almas (gold anklet) fromHyderabad; thuria (earplugs) from Assam.