On South Bombay’s Princess Street, while the rest of the city grumbles and mumbles at the downpour of rain, the shopkeepers at Ebrahim Currim & Sons smile in satisfaction. They are, in case your mind is fitting pieces today, not sadists and certainly not farmers. They’re Mumbai’s oldest umbrella shop. Since the brand started off in 1860, much has changed but the need to flee from the rain. 162 years since, and they still shine out on the street with rainbow-coloured umbrellas greeting us from afar.
At this brand, which has outlets across India, both make and sell its own umbrellas, and everyone – from the trainee shopkeeper who’s still under the boss’ wings to the confident one who has been through it all, and seen it all -- sells umbrellas happily, busily, effortlessly, often juggling one customer’s questions with another with no problem.
Wondering what more there could be to umbrellas than just saving your skin? We did too, and were met with answers: over the years they’ve had a Madonna print umbrella, a square-shaped umbrella, one that opens out to house two people under, one with a walking stick handle, and so on. None of those pleases you?
How about a striped beachy umbrella, or a rain-repelling, bright yellow one for you? They’ve made it all in their years, and now have the most colourful & bright, sturdy (and sometimes frilly) umbrellas from small ones as big as your palm, to extremely huge ones. All for you to pick from.