Nimbu-mirchi

No early record

We found no early written record of nimbu-mirchi. What we have are accounts written down from people who hang it today, so we cannot say when or where the custom began.

At the shop front

An entry in the University of Southern California’s folklore archive describes a lemon and chillies on a string hung at shops, over doors and on vehicles, against nazar, the evil eye. It is also hung when a new shop opens, and is often bought on a Saturday.

To verify: How many chillies are used; accounts differ; Why Saturday is the usual day to buy it

Plastic copies

Imitation strings now hang beside the real ones. We tell nimbu-mirchi as a shopkeeper’s custom and make no promise about trade. The real thing is food and does not last, so we do not turn it into jewellery.

To verify: What the imitation strings are made of; our files say only that imitations exist