17 April,2010 11:36 PM IST | | Fiona Fernandez
Until nearly 30 years ago, Jabbar's sold the best sun block in Mumbai -- the sola topi -- to gora generals and Indian babus. It still sells hats, but of the cowboy and felt variety. Fiona Fernandez tracks down this forgotten footnote, sandwiched between Lohar Chawl and Crawford Market
Think Tom Alter in his Bollywood evil jailor persona. Think harder and you might remember his khaki sola topi that became a regular prop for Englishmen to counter the Indian summer. This hat was an all rounder -- lightweight, with superb insulation, it was ideal for trips across the subcontinent and had a stamp of colonial legacy, almost by default. Not just the British, even Goans, Parsis and Anglo Indians wore them. As did our city's train drivers, guards and BEST ticket inspectors.
GRAPHIC/ SAMEER PAWAR
Capped in history
We were in for a surprise when Jabbar's third generation owner, Arshad Jabbar, told us he doesn't stock the sola hat, contrary to what high-brow city publications and travel blogs claim. "I sold the last sola topi nearly 30 years ago to a BEST ticket inspector, for Rs 50. We discontinued its sale since the karigars (craftsmen) passed away and their sons moved to other businesses," he recollects. In the old days, Mangaldas Road had several sola hat retailers. Jabbar's was the only shop to survive since it was set up in the 1920s by his grandfather Ahmed Hussain Jabbar.
Rooted in tradition
Made from the sola (locally called ludki) root found in Indian swamplands, sola hat-making involved tedious work. "Every hat was handmade and required two stages, involving two karigars. The lining was created by sewing fibre from the root, while the outer frame had soft cloth woven over it," Arshadbhai explains. The ludki fibre came from Kolkata. Today, sola topis are worn by Bengaluru and Kolkata's traffic and city police forces.
About the demise of this legacy, Arshadbhai says, "Then, practicality was important. Now, it's all about fashion."
u00a0
Variety
A quick scan of the shop reveals masala western cowboy and gangster hats, as well as lace andu00a0 crochet varieties for women. "People come during the racing season for these," he adds.
There's a good number of police paraphernalia too, from hats to belts, sticks and uniforms. "Cops from police stations nearby drop in to buy a cap if they've suddenly misplaced theirs on duty." All seems well at Arshadbhai's, going by the number of customers who dropped by while we were there. He will continue sheltering Mumbaikars from its sweltering heat, "It's all about rozi-roti. I'm content and that's what matters," he trails off, excusing us, to share a lunch dabba with his attendants.
Jabbar's, 2nd Dwarkadas Building , 70 Mangaldas Lane. Call: 9892494547, 2203531
