Tuk tuk

Tuk tuk is one of those stores that are dif­ficult to tear away from. The shelves are ­filled with delightful little curios, souvenirs and fridge magnets in every conceivable color. The brain child of Bharti Marwaha Kumar, Tuk Tuk came into existence in 2011 after the new mother decided that there was more to life than diaper changes and burp sessions. And so she went on a shopping spree across the country and picked up things from suppliers as varied as NID designers to those with special needs. So here you ­ will find pottery by upcoming designers, stationary that is hand made by people with Down’s Syndrome, items crafted by artisans using recycled material or even housewives who have a talent and need a place to showcase it. To say that this is a store that supports many causes would be an understatement but in doing so it has managed to retain a fun element that reflects Bharti’s bubbly enthusiasm and sense of humor. Being a mother with young children she has kept the store completely child friendly with a whole section on the floor displaying interesting knick knacks for kids, “something for them to sit and play with” she says. Immensely popular with the tourist crowd, Tuk Tuk also keeps an interesting line of silver jewelry that comes all the way from Jaipur. Bharti who has been deeply involved with design, fashion and merchandising for the most part of her career in USA and UK, started Tuk Tuk with the idea of promoting art, culture and those marginalized by society. The zippy little gift shop, bright, colourful and completely unpretentious brings a fresh perspective to shopping in Margao.  Sit with her over a cup of coffee and hear her hilarious tales from the back alleys of Jaipur (where her silver comes from) to the picturesque Aguada jail (from where she sources her paper bags from) and you’ll realize that Tuk Tuk is as much a store with a cause as it is one with heart, where each piece tells a story of its craftsman and of how it was discovered by Bharti. So the next time you are in a ­ fix over a birthday present do drop in, browse the Tuk Tuk shelves, hang out with a cup of coffee, forge a friendship and leave with a smile as well as bags full of goodies!

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