Under one roof...

People of all age groups and from all walks of life, along with their families, visited the annual ‘United Charities Bazaar’, held at the Corporation playgrounds, opposite St Charles School in Lingarajpuram, recently.

The bazaar offered food, games and decorative items among other things.

Women scanned through the household items and picked up utility items while the children not only helped themselves to goodies like home-made chocolate cakes and muffins but tried their luck at a couple of games as well.

In addition to biryani and appam stalls, there were stalls dishing out hot kebabs, grilled chicken, rolls and pastries. There were handicrafts and Christmas decorations, table linen and T-shirts, homemade jams and jellies, pickles and pies, cakes and cookies.

The event was promoted by proVISION INDIA, a Bangalore-based NGO, focussed on rural development, training and setting up self-sustainability projects for unemployed youth and women across the country.

Stephen Dass, associate director, proVISION INDIA, said that last year, the bazaar saw about 5,000 people walk in on a single day and this year, they expect the footfalls to increase.

“There are about 76 stalls this year. We have also encouraged some housewives and school kids, who make decorative and food items, to come and sell their wares. We have no sponsors and those who want to participate in the bazaar have to pay for the stalls, which cost Rs 1,200,
Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000. The money raised in the bazaar goes to various charitable organisations,” explained Stephen.

The bazaar began at 9 am and went on till 5 pm. Those who chose to bring food items, such as cakes, cutlets, biryani and appams, began their work the previous night itself. This was the first time that Shoba was at the bazaar. She had prepared chicken vada, non-vegetarian cutlets and baked a chocolate cake.

“The chicken vadas are a unique concept, wherein the dish is made like an ordinary vada but the filling is made of chicken. We are also making hot vadas and serving them,” Shoba said.

The Anjuman-E-Soghra Trust made a variety of dishes, including chicken and mutton biryani, crab pickle, dahi vada and ‘chicken 65’. “We are a Trust and make these items exclusively for the bazaar. The coconut barfi is made from the villages . Our cooks are also brought in just to make the dishes in the authentic style,” said a representative of the Trust.

Another stall sold hand-crafted items made by the representatives of a charitable organisation called Manna.

 “The staff of our organisation make the greeting cards. We work to spread awareness among people regarding the needs of special children,” explained Preetham from Manna.

Anjali made about 100 cup cakes in walnut and chocolate flavours. “My friend made
appams with chicken curry and I thought a sweet dish would go well with the combination,” she reasoned.

The regulars to the bazaar know exactly what to look for. Hema Rao, a housewife, comes to the bazaar only to pick up household utility items. “This bazaar offers a wide choice in household items. And I usually pick up dusters and decorative items for Christmas,” she said.

Most of the items were sold by 4.30 pm and the bazaar wound up by 5 pm.