A Cycle Rickshaw in Agra
This was just an anecdote of an interesting event in Agra in the evening. Feeling like exploring the city a little, I decided to walk around.
However, coming out of a reasonably posh hotel meant that I was not going to be in for a quiet walk. Immediately people started hawking things. Also people kept offering to show me around Agra in their cycle rickshaws. Initially I kept refusing all requests - but then one man spoke in English, and promised to show me around for Rs 10 ($0.30 Aus). I finally agreed and he took me around.
After some general banter, the rickshaw wallah asked where I came from. I replied that I was from Chennai. He then asked me if I had studied overseas. I told him that I had only ever lived in Chennai. (I didn't want to be known as a foreigner, otherwise people will try the hard sell on me and I had only about Rs 180 with me at the time). I thought I was well disguised by wearing typical Indian clothes, and trying to speak in my strongest Indian accent!
Anyway, he then asked if I wanted to go to any shops. I said no. However, with a bit of persuasion I relented and agreed to go to a marble shop. Agra is famous for marble carvings (after all it was these people's forefathers who built the Taj)!
The rickshaw wallah then took me to a small shop. I was shown inside, then the shop keeper promptly closed the door and his assistant started bringing out marble carvings. The carvings were beautiful, but I was conscious of only having Rs 170 or so to spend. Anyway, I chose a beautiful statue of Vignesh (the Elephant headed God) which cost Rs 150. I could have bargained, but decided against it since I didn't want to spend too much time.
After paying I went back to the rickshaw and asked him to take me to the hotel. While doing so I enquired about his business. He mentioned that as it was the off season, there were hardly any tourists, and that he had earned only Rs 20 the whole day (it was about 7 pm). He then asked me if I had seen the Taj. I replied in the affirmative and then asked him how many times he had seen it. He told me that he had seen it many times in the past when entry used to be free on Fridays for local people. However, since they stopped that he could no longer afford to see it.
(I felt really bad - here was a person who had lived all his life in Agra, but could no longer afford to see the main attraction that people from all over the world came to see!)
I then asked about his family - he mentioned that he had 7 children! (Again I felt pity for him and wondered how he supported them!)
Finally near the hotel he told me that because I was such a friendly person, he would be honest with me and confessed that he got a commission of Rs 10 for my buying at the Marble Shop. He then mentioned that because I had arrived in a cycle rickshaw the Deity only cost Rs 150. Had I gone in an auto, it would have been more expensive. If I had gone by car, it would have been even more so! It was an interesting insight into how the tourism industry works!
Since he was being so honest I too confessed to being from overseas (Australia) and asked him how he suspected it even though I thought I was well disguised! He mentioned that my accent and standard of English was too good (really? even my Indian accent??), and that I just looked like a foreigner! Damn - my trying to blend in obviously did not work too well!!!
I felt very guilty giving him just the Rs 10 he had asked for, so gave him Rs 30 (which was all I had at hand) . I don't know whether that was sufficient or not - but it made me feel happy that atleast he had earnt Rs 40 from me that day (compared to the Rs 20 he had earned the rest of the day).
It made me feel pretty guilty that he would probably earn Rs 100 on a good day, compared to the Rs 2600 I earn a day (that too as a poor student!)
However, coming out of a reasonably posh hotel meant that I was not going to be in for a quiet walk. Immediately people started hawking things. Also people kept offering to show me around Agra in their cycle rickshaws. Initially I kept refusing all requests - but then one man spoke in English, and promised to show me around for Rs 10 ($0.30 Aus). I finally agreed and he took me around.
After some general banter, the rickshaw wallah asked where I came from. I replied that I was from Chennai. He then asked me if I had studied overseas. I told him that I had only ever lived in Chennai. (I didn't want to be known as a foreigner, otherwise people will try the hard sell on me and I had only about Rs 180 with me at the time). I thought I was well disguised by wearing typical Indian clothes, and trying to speak in my strongest Indian accent!
Anyway, he then asked if I wanted to go to any shops. I said no. However, with a bit of persuasion I relented and agreed to go to a marble shop. Agra is famous for marble carvings (after all it was these people's forefathers who built the Taj)!
The rickshaw wallah then took me to a small shop. I was shown inside, then the shop keeper promptly closed the door and his assistant started bringing out marble carvings. The carvings were beautiful, but I was conscious of only having Rs 170 or so to spend. Anyway, I chose a beautiful statue of Vignesh (the Elephant headed God) which cost Rs 150. I could have bargained, but decided against it since I didn't want to spend too much time.
After paying I went back to the rickshaw and asked him to take me to the hotel. While doing so I enquired about his business. He mentioned that as it was the off season, there were hardly any tourists, and that he had earned only Rs 20 the whole day (it was about 7 pm). He then asked me if I had seen the Taj. I replied in the affirmative and then asked him how many times he had seen it. He told me that he had seen it many times in the past when entry used to be free on Fridays for local people. However, since they stopped that he could no longer afford to see it.
(I felt really bad - here was a person who had lived all his life in Agra, but could no longer afford to see the main attraction that people from all over the world came to see!)
I then asked about his family - he mentioned that he had 7 children! (Again I felt pity for him and wondered how he supported them!)
Finally near the hotel he told me that because I was such a friendly person, he would be honest with me and confessed that he got a commission of Rs 10 for my buying at the Marble Shop. He then mentioned that because I had arrived in a cycle rickshaw the Deity only cost Rs 150. Had I gone in an auto, it would have been more expensive. If I had gone by car, it would have been even more so! It was an interesting insight into how the tourism industry works!
Since he was being so honest I too confessed to being from overseas (Australia) and asked him how he suspected it even though I thought I was well disguised! He mentioned that my accent and standard of English was too good (really? even my Indian accent??), and that I just looked like a foreigner! Damn - my trying to blend in obviously did not work too well!!!
I felt very guilty giving him just the Rs 10 he had asked for, so gave him Rs 30 (which was all I had at hand) . I don't know whether that was sufficient or not - but it made me feel happy that atleast he had earnt Rs 40 from me that day (compared to the Rs 20 he had earned the rest of the day).
It made me feel pretty guilty that he would probably earn Rs 100 on a good day, compared to the Rs 2600 I earn a day (that too as a poor student!)
posted by Sandeep at 8:15 AM
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