Anjana Vaswani 's visit to 144 year-old Wagle & Co reveals hard-to-find sports supplies and stories of how British soldiers shut down motorable roads before carpeting them to play golf
Anjana Vaswani 's visit to 144 year-old Wagle & Co reveals hard-to-find sports supplies and stories of how British soldiers shut down motorable roads before carpeting them to play golf
"Marine Drive and Marine Lines are so named because those roads once housed the quarters of the British Marines," says Manohar Wagle, scratching his head while directing us to a weathered chair, attempting to recall his grandfather's stories about how the family business started in 1865.
Antique portraits on a rear wall caught our eye and just as we managed to snake our way to them, past a handful of customers and read, "Raghunathji Wagle" at the base of one dusty frame, Wagle told us how his great-grandfather's perfumery enterprise was transformed into what became India's first sports shop.
"British officers used to walk down this path often, and over time they developed a sort of rapport with my great grandfather," Wagle said, pointing to the portrait. "They suggested that he source sports supplies for them. He did, and once word got around, the demand was large enough for us to switch business."
No need to race
With no competitors, the business here flourished and their goods began to be shipped to as far as Aden and Hong Kong to cater to English gentlemen.
It proved feasible and practical for them to order sporting goods from us rather than from England," Wagle said.
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Offering a glimpse into how the British Raj functioned, Wagle revealed stories of how when it moved their fancy, soldiers would close down Karnak Bunder, run a massive red carpet over it and employ the street as a golfing ground.
Products from the past
Indian tradition, however, is something that Wagle & Co is proud to have been a part of a fact that is evidenced in the authentic exteriors of the store.
The doorway is hard to miss with its antique, stained-glass canopy with racquet-motifs on some of its panels and pillars that remain tiled with original wooden
racquet and ball motifs.
They stock Bamboo Archery sets, Boomerangs, Catapults and Muddal training bars for body-builders.
Modern versions of the same include fibre archery sets (Rs 9,500 for the bow and Rs 450 per arrow) and cheaper bamboo options (Rs 3,500 for a set, inclusive of 6 arrows). Camping supplies, sports shoes and golf kits are also on sale.
Rare finds
"Mountaineering equipment is especially hard to find," Wagle said, drawing our attention to Pitons (Rs 3,000 onwards) and Carabiners (Rs 900 onwards).
If you want a portable putting mat, look no further. The mat (inclusive of a raised ramp) costs Rs 4,000, but putters can cost as little as Rs 2,000 and go up to Rs 10,000.
Surfboards are another novelty, with the store's range priced at about Rs 35,000. Crossbows come for Rs 18,500.
Every now and again, Wagle & Co designs special sports sets like the wooden bowling set we saw a shop assistant displaying.
With slimmer pins than the ones you see at bowling-alleys and three wooden balls to complete them, these sets are priced at Rs 4,000.
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AT: L Tilak Marg, opposite St. Xavier's School, Dhobi Talao.
Call 22016188 / 22087460
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