ERWIN FONSECA
ASSAGAO: At 74, Babi has spent over half a century perfecting his art, bringing not just clothes but also memories to life for the residents of Assagao and Mapusa. Despite the convenience and abundance of off-the-rack ‘fast’ fashion, Babi’s work remains in demand, thanks to the personal touch that only a tailor can provide.
Born into a modest family in Assagao, Babi’s early years were marked by hardship. His journey in life took an unexpected turn when, in the fourth grade, his father suffered a stroke that left him paralysed. As the eldest of nine children, young Babi felt compelled to leave school at age ten to support his struggling family. “If it was now, it would be considered child labour, but back then, it was common for children to work if circumstances demanded it,” Babi recalls. Determined to help his mother, who worked tirelessly making coir strings, he took on any job he could find in Assagao and nearby Mapusa, often working for a mere Rs 30 a month—a substantial sum in those days.
All through these trials, Babi’s father nurtured a hope that his son would someday become a tailor. “In those days, tailors were highly valued, and people would even call them to their homes for stitching outfits for the entire family,” Babi says. However, it wasn’t until his marriage in his twenties that he decided to fulfil his father’s dream. He met his wife while working at a construction site in Anjuna, and after they married, she encouraged him to pursue tailoring. Inspired, Babi found a local tailor from Mandrem who visited Anjuna to stitch clothes, and under his guidance, Babi learned the trade. With the support of his family, he purchased a sewing machine, investing their savings, originally intended for buying buffaloes, into his future as a tailor. “My father even bought a sewing machine for me from the money that we had saved to buy buffaloes. He decided securing my future was more important and said that if I am successful in life, I could buy many buffaloes,” he recalls with a smile.
Once Babi mastered the craft, there was no looking back. He ventured to Mapusa, where he was already familiar with the locals due to his previous jobs in the area. “The journey wasn’t easy back then, especially without regular transport from Assagao, but I was determined,” he remembers. Babi worked in various spots around Mapusa’s market, adjusting as the area transformed over the years. He has seen Mapusa evolve, from the days when two Portuguese policemen patrolled the market to today’s bustling, vibrant town centre filled with vendors and visitors from all over Goa.
The present-day flower market, where Babi sits with his sewing machine, was once a fish market before it became a vegetable market, and it now serves as a gathering point for Goans seeking fresh flowers and local goods. Through all these changes, Babi remained a constant presence, stitching and mending clothes for loyal customers who have come to trust him implicitly.
For Babi, the rise of ready-made clothing hasn’t diminished the role of traditional tailors. “When I began, stitching rates were only 25 to 50 paise. Today, tailoring charges can go up to Rs 500, which shows that this craft has only become more valuable over time,” he says. Babi believes there will always be a demand for tailor-made clothes, especially for alterations and custom fits, which mass-produced clothing often cannot match.
Due to his age, Babi now focuses on lighter work, mostly alterations and adjustments. “I’m addicted to stitching,” he confesses, adding that he has rarely missed a day at the market, taking only an hour’s break for lunch before working late into the evening. His devotion has helped him raise his family, and he continues to rely solely on his earnings from tailoring to support himself.
Despite the toll that years of labour have taken on his body, Babi remains fit and active, attributing much of his health to the routine and purpose that tailoring provides. “This job has given me everything—health, family, and friendships,” he reflects. His customers know him as a craftsman they can depend on, and he feels a responsibility to continue serving them for as long as he can.
In the 1980s, Assagao had a sizable number of tailors who would either stitch from their homes or visit customers. Today, only a handful remain, most of them older men with few young apprentices to carry on the legacy. Babi laments that youth today often overlook tailoring as a career option, drawn instead to white-collar jobs or government positions. “Tailoring is a high-paying job, and it’s a skill that’s always in demand,” he says. He urges young people, especially girls, to consider it as a career path, stressing that tailoring centres, where apprentices could once learn the trade, should be revived.
As he approaches the twilight of his career, Babi is proud of the life he has built with his needle and thread. He cherishes the memories, the stories shared over countless fittings, and the bond he has forged with his customers. “I’ll keep coming to Mapusa to do this work as long as I’m able,” he says with quiet determination. Through his cheerful work ethic, Babi Palyekar embodies the enduring spirit of Goa’s traditional craftsmen, weaving both fabric and community into every stitch.