Sing into a bottle stopper,write letters on elephant poo paper

Tappu Ki Dukaan, the little gift shop in Fort, is packed with gifts that have a quirky edge

Tappu Ki Dukaan, the little gift shop in Fort, is packed with gifts that have a quirky edge

The chaotic area of Fort holds many a surprises, and the latest one comes in the form of Tappu Ki Dukaan, a quirky little gift store housed on a mezzanine floor.

Mike Wine Bottle stopper by Happily Unmarried (Rs 400)

This is just the place to stop by if you are looking for gifts with personality. Wine bottle stoppers shaped like microphones (Rs 400), wine racks modeled after film reels, manhole coasters, tiffin dabbas that can hold your collection of CDs (Rs 840), funky tees and cloth bags with BEST buses riding on them (Rs 500) -- it's all here.

While the Happily Unmarried brand of commode ashtrays and shot glasses is stuff you've probably come across before, that's not all there is to look forward to at TKD. This is the only shop in town that stocks Haathi Chhap, the Delhi-based organisation which makes eco-friendly diaries, coasters and bookmarks from elephant poo (Prices start at Rs 40)!

Proprietor Sneha Raisoni stocks brands including Pop Goes the Art, Mukul Goyal, Mixed Juice Design and Dhoop.
"I want to make Tappu Ki Dukaan a platform for design; anything creative," says Sneha, who decided she was ready for something different after five years as a chartered accountant. "Dad had this space for years. It was a shame to let it go waste," says Sneha, who is fondly called "Tappu" by family. "Dad" is just downstairs, the owner of a Lawrence & Mayo eyewear showroom that you need to walk through, and climb up a staircase before you get to Tappu's dukaan.

Barely a month into the store's opening, and Sneha's enthusiasm is palpable as she takes a personal interest in every customer who stops by. "Did you get that?" she asks of us, encouraging us to look closely at a series of artworks that precede the entrance to her shop. "Look closely," she urges with a smile.

Good suggestion! Because "look closely" you must when you stop by Tappu Ki Dukaan or you might miss getting a kick out of their cheeky designs and unusual gifting ideas.u00a0

At: 27-A, Kermani Building, mezzanine floor, Sir PM Road, opposite Citibank, Fort. Call: 22043716