A Soul Sante experience

Well after a really busy and hectic week of being bombarded by assignments and classes from 9-5pm, this Sunday came as a welcome break, something worth looking forward to. This Sunday was something which many Bangaloreans look forward to almost every three-four months a year. It was Sunday Soul Sante time.

Briefly about how it began, so Soul Sante was started by Mrs Amrita Rao, whose main motive was to promote and help budding designers . This concept which started off with a very small idea has now blossomed to become a huge brand name. On entering the area, I was blinded by a kaleidoscope of colourful hues, almost blocking my mental vision and taking me into a trance. Before coming here, I was fore warned by some of my friends who are pretty much aware of my weakness for anything colorful and nice. Keeping my budget to as low as possible, and promising myself to turn a blind eye to beautiful things, I set out on a  jaunt  to appreciate and watch what every designer had to offer on their stalls. And, you bet! It was very hard for me to stop myself from burning a hole in my poor student’s pocket. Nonetheless, I went around ogling at pretty things, holding conversations with the friendly designers and negotiating with my friend on what to buy and what not to. The ambience for this flea market was appropriately set; music performances, karaoke, beer to beat the heat, amazing crowd, cute smiley kids nibbling at their candy and a wide array of food stalls. So what if God decided to make it the sunniest day in Bangalore and tan us? It didn’t stop the world from descending over.

After roaming around a bit, I darted for the food stalls. The wide range of food stalls confused me and finally I settled for a gigantic Chicken burger which was yummy and juicy as hell. After gaining a little energy, I set out undauntingly to explore some more, not being pressured by the heat. There was so much hustle bustle and free flow of creativity, I was surprised at the amount of ideas oozing out of every stall that had been put up. Pretty scarves, stuff made from quilling, doodling on alcohol bottles, waste converted to quirky artsy stuff and bursts of NEON..How can I forget NEON? It was raining neon. Neon shoes, earrings, necklaces, cushions, bottles, dresses. You name it and it was there. My face burst into a wide grin which spread to my eyes. Soul Sante has gained so much recognition that people from outside Bangalore were also there to showcase their cool stuff and join the bandwagon of quirky designers.

This retail therapy, actually more so, an ‘idea generating and treating your eyes’ therapy was totally worth it. If any of you missed Soul Sante this time, don’t worry you still have the next quarter to go and get into a frenzy like all the others. My first ever experience, I could’nt have asked for more. Soul Sante was totally a 'soul selling experience' for me.