Skip to main content

Have your shoes polished in India

When you are out and about in the markets of India, don’t be put off by those who come and approach you and offer you to polish your shoes. Its part and parcel of the Indian experience! You might feel a little intimidated about the situation but these shoe polishers (or shoe shiners or boot polishers – whatever you like to call them) are actually trying to make a living. They are not begging or trying to con you, they are simply offering a service which you will not get anywhere in the western world.

Try getting your shoes repaired in Britain or the USA, they’re not cheap, you might as well throw it way and buy a new pair. But in India, it’s different; we tend to repair it till it completely disintegrates. In western countries, people polish their own shoes but in India, having your shoes polished is so cheap that many some people don’t bother buying shoe polishes and brushes. They just have it on the go.

Shoe Shiner in India.
Shoe Shiner in India: The roads of India is dusty. You will need a shoe polish in no time.

Shoe shiners might have phased out in Western nations but it still exists in India and some other parts of the world. But nonetheless, these shoe polishers in the streets do exist and its worth having it done. In fact, they can repair shoes as well. Shoe polishers are usually concentrated at large gatherings such as near the railways platforms, bus stops, markets and so on. The price for shoe polish is around 20 Rupees but if you get it repaired then it will cost a bit extra. The shoe polisher will ask you to take your shoes off one by one while he polishes or will ask you to place your foot on a pedestal.

Travel India: Enjoying India to the Fullest: Things to do in India

However, there is one sad element to this. Many of these shoe shiners are mainly children. Rather than going to school, they have to go out and make a living polishing shoes. So rather than ignoring and shooing them off, try their services!

Shoe repair in India
Shoe repair in India: My husband getting his boot repaired and polished. I think he paid around 50 Rupees.

So don’t be put off and if you do have your shoe polished, you will be doing the shoe shiners a favour. The income earned by these boys is a significant proportion for their family and it prevents them slipping into begging or crime. In many of these cases, fathers of these boys have probably died or cannot work and therefore they are simply supplementing the family’s income. While for some polishing shoes are the only income. It does sound heartbreaking but it’s the ground reality. In some cities, shoe shiners need a licence to operate and have their Shoeshine Association.

If you want to get to know the real India and enjoy India to the fullest, then you might wish to take a look at this ebook.

[rectanglebox id=9]

Popular posts from this blog

Bengali numbers 1 to 100 in words in English

Bengali (or Bangla) is the second most widely spoken language in India after Hindi . It happens to be the seventh most spoken language in the world. If you are considering visiting the state of West Bengal, then these Bengali numbers 1 to 100 will come in handy.  These Bengali numbers will certainly come in handy when in Kolkata or any other place in Bengal. Important point to remember is that Bengali is also spoken in Bangladesh hence these numbers will be useful if you are planning to visit Bangladesh as well. These Bengali numbers can be used for haggling or simply trying to understand what you are being sold or told in a shop or street seller. It will also be useful when ordering something in a restaurant or eating street food . This will indicate the listener that you have done your homework when comes to Bengali numbers. Please note that these Bengali numbers are similar to Hindi numbers and if you were to say the Hindi version , it will be well understood but nonetheles...

Hindi Numbers 1 to 100 in English

To explain the Hindi numbers from 1 to 100 to someone unfamiliar with the language, it's essential to start with the basics. Hindi, one of India's prominent languages, uses its own set of numbers, and they can be related to their English counterparts through pronunciation. Each Hindi number is written in the Devanagari script, and it has a corresponding English pronunciation. For example, " एक (Ek)" in Hindi means "One" in English, and " दो (Do)" translates to "Two." Visual aids can be incredibly helpful in this process, as they provide a clear connection between the script and pronunciation.  It's important to note that Hindi numbers are grouped similarly to English, with tens and ones. For instance, " तीन (Teen)" in Hindi corresponds to "Three" in English, and " चार (Char)" means "Four." Patterns can be identified as well, such as the unique names for numbers from 1 to 10 and a common pr...

Tamil numbers 1 to 100

Are you planning a travel to Tamil Nadu? Do you want to learn some Tamil numbers? Are you learning Tamil? Whatever you want to do, here are Tamil numbers 1 to 100 in English . These Tamil Numbers from 1 to 100 will certainly come in handy while shopping or travelling to places. These numbers can be used for bargaining or simply trying to understand what you are being sold or told. These numbers are different to Hindi number s hence if you are considering visiting the state of Tamil Nadu then these numbers will come in handy. Nowadays people from South India do understand Hindi to a great extent but it’s worth learning a few Tamil numbers just in case. Learn 1 to 100 Tamil Numbers in English. Make sure you watch the video for the pronunciation. Tamil numbers from 1 to 100: 1 – Onnu 2 – Rendu 3 – Moonu 4 – Naalu 5 – Anju 6 – Aaru 7 – Yelu 8 – Ettu 9 – Onbadhu 10 – Pathu 11 – Pathi nonnu 12 – Pannandu 13 – Pathi monnu 14 – Pathi naalu 15 – Pathi nanju 16 – Pathi naaru 17 – Pathi nelu ...

Filipino Tagalog numbers 1 to 100 in words

If you are traveling to the Philippines, then these Tagalog numbers (Filipino numbers) will be useful for you. Tagalog is spoken as a language in the Philippines and is the official language of the Philippines. There are two forms of Tagalog namely Old Tagalog which is an ancient form of the language while Batangas Tagalog is a dialect of the language. In addition, the Filipino language is a standardised form of the Tagalog language that forms the official language of the Philippines. If you traveling to the Philippines, then you might wish to learn a few words and numbers for your travels. Here’s a list of Tagalog numbers 1-100 compiled by Amihan Balasaba s. Feel free to print them out if you wanted to them with you. If you press the print button then you can eastly print them as printable Tagalog numbers 1 100 in words. Tagalog numbers in 1 to 100 One                 1       ...

Most sexually open countries in the world to travel

Many countries in the world have laws which forbid sexual openness. If you were to go to virtually any Middle Eastern country, you would find no sexual openness whatsoever. But if you were to go to Europe or America, then it would be a different story. For a long time, the culture in these countries made people think that women were not interested in sex the way men were. However, this was really just society trying to make women feel guilty for wanting sexual pleasure like men do. Ever since feminists started coming out of the woodwork, women have been able to become more sexually open and not be ashamed of it. So, which are some of the most sexually open countries in the world? Below is a list of the top 5 countries and many of them might surprise you. Japan From the outside, Japan is certainly not a country that you would think is sexually open. They are a country that believes in hard work, respect, and honor. With that being said, the Japanese people are very open-minded when it c...