What goes into a ₹495 bottle of hair oil
Leaves, oils, nine hours of firewood and four people’s work: an honest breakdown of what a 200 ml bottle costs us.
A morning at Devaraja Market
Jasmine, betel, turmeric and the herb stalls: a walk through Mysuru’s old market, with notes on what to look for.
Devaraja Market has stood near the palace for more than a century, and it is still where Mysuru buys its flowers, fruit and puja goods. Shalini goes every few weeks to buy dried herbs and to see what the stalls are selling. If you are visiting the city, it is worth an early morning.
Go between 7 and 9 am, when the flowers are fresh and the lanes are not yet crowded. The front of the market is given over to flower sellers, with heaps of jasmine, marigold, kanakambara and rose, strung by hand while you watch. Mysuru mallige, the city’s own jasmine, is sold by the arm’s length, measured from the seller’s fingertip to elbow.
Further in are the stalls of turmeric, kumkum, sandalwood and herbs. You will see dried shikakai pods, reetha nuts, amla, hibiscus flowers and fenugreek seeds sold loose by weight. These are the same plants that go into our products, though our fresh leaves come from two farms near Srirangapatna. If you want to make a hair pack at home, buy small amounts, smell them, and choose stalls where the goods look dry, clean and free of dust.
The market is busy and the floors can be wet, so wear sandals that grip, and keep your bag in front. Photographs are welcome at most stalls if you ask first. Our shop on Kalidasa Road is about fifteen minutes away by auto, and opens at 10, which makes it an easy next stop.
