My husband and I went to Manali for leave travel. Out of curiosity we bought something called "Chingu".
The Chingu is a quilt kinda thing. It wasn’t for sale. It was for lease. They got my wife's signature on an agreement and told that you will get your copy from himachal handloom works in due course. The cost was 7K; after a period of 21 months, a person from their side will supposedly come and collect the chingu from you after paying you 9K...! And why so? Because Meneka Gandhi has banned the furnaces that were earlier used to heat the chingu stuff to make out shawls from it… 1 chingu once heated expands to make 5-6 shawls each of which sells for around 20-30K. Now human body is the best furnace in the world as claimed by them! Moreover in order to lure the customers they are offering a lot of free products as gift such as bed sheets, angora shawl, carpet, dress materials etc. After 21 months you return the chingu but can keep the gifts all for yourself!
We paid them Rs. 600/- as advance. We were told that the products will come to us in Gandhidham -Kachchh by VPP.
After returning to Gandhidham, we did not receive anything by VPP. We enquired about through the hotel where we had stay as phone numbers given were not responding. However, we received a VPP parcel afterwards.
We have still not received lease agreement and we are doubtful about anything like 'chingu'.
If such fraduelant marketing is done at tourist place, then people will be cheated out of curiosity. The name of shop written over receipt given to us is as under.
CHINAR KASHMIR ART EMPORIUM,
V.P.O. VASHISHT, TEH. MANALI-175131
Please enquire and arrange to display valid information over himachal tourism websites.
Regards.
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