Making my Way through Men in Lungi

Have you heard of a small town called Tirupur in Tamil Nadu, known as the knitwear capital of India?

It is situated at the centre of the South Indian Peninsula, 50 kilometres (31 mi) east of Coimbatore which is also the nearest airport. This small town is a major textile and knitwear hub contributing almost 90% of total cotton knitwear exports from India. Many of the world’s largest retailers including Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Switcher, Tommy Hilfiger, Wal-Mart, Primark, FILA, H&M, C&A and M&S go to Tirupur to manufacture their cotton products.

I remember I once booked a 3-night stay in a luxury (supposed to be) resort near a town called Polachi, which did not quite go well and so had to check out after the first night and return to Vivanta Surya by Taj at Coimbatore for another 3 days as my base. Annoyed and frustrated with the experience, I started researching things to do around the area and found out Tirupur was just a 90 min drive away. I called the concierge immediately and asked to arrange a car and local chauffeur who know his way around Tirupur. There was only one to-do list on my mind, that of going on a shopping spree at wholesale markets, outlets, and any stores I could find.  Some might call it retail therapy. It was quite a wonderful experience strolling around the markets and stores, but the apparel was depressing. I did, however, manage to persevere and bring back 8-10 items, after some serious digging. LOL!

After a sumptuous Tamil cuisine lunch, I asked the driver to take me to a local vegetable or flower market. He kind of gave me a look which felt like ‘what a strange traveller’. He then dropped me off at the entrance to a local flower market and asking me to call when I finished. With no idea what to expect at this market, I took my first step into the gate, and literally went “WOW”! What was so unique about this place was that 99% of the purveyors were men in their lungi’s though both men & women came to buy the flowers. I lifted my camera and became totally absorbed with these beautiful men in their lungi’s making flower garlands, gossiping & chatting away. Typically, the work and pass time of the women!  All I could hear was my shutter rat-a-tat-tatting. Perhaps not many travelers visit, but they were so happy to see me with my big lenses and started posing. After spending about 2 hours in a not so big flower market, I went back to the hotel. It made my day, experiencing something local, all quite by accident. It’s a memory I still cherish.

Hoping you enjoy the photograph from the flower market, at Kamaraj road, Tirupur, TN.

Robindro Saikhom
robin@serenejourneys.co
www.serenejourneys.co

Robin is the founder of Serene Journeys, a gay travel company based in Delhi and a freelance travel photographer, exploring the beauty of India, Nepal, Bhutan and Southeast Asia.
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