Prince Harry, Meghan Markle to receive special gifts from Mumbai's Dabbawala for son Archie

Master Archie, the son of Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, will receive special gifts from Mumbai's famed Dabbawalas - silver waist and anklet bands.

"According to the Maharashtrian tradition, a grandfather gifts a waistband (kamarpatta) and anklet bands on the birth of a boy and we'll be following the same tradition and gifting the same to baby Archie," said Mumbai Dabbawalas Association spokesperson Subhash Talekar.

On Friday, a group of Dabbawalas were seen scouring some of the reputed jewellers in Mumbai for shopping the best-design items for Master Archie to make it a memorable gift.

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"We would have loved to present these auspicious items in gold, but we are constrained by resources. It is not the value of the gift but the thought that is valued. And this will be adorned by the blessings of all the Dabbawalas," Talekar added.

The bonhomie between Britain's royal family and the iconic dabbawalas dates back to 2003 when Prince Charles had visited them in Mumbai. Prince Charles was impressed by the work and services rendered by the ultra-efficient army of 5,000-odd dabbawalas, who meticulously ferry tiffin lunch boxes to around 200,000 hungry Mumbai office-goers.

Later in 2005, Prince Charles had sent an all-expense paid invitation the dabbawalas for his wedding to Camilla Parker. Accepting the invitation, two senior dabbawalas had attended the wedding in London.

They had also sent traditional Maharashtrian clothing as a gift for Prince Harry and Meghan Markel on their wedding.

On May 29, 2018, Queen Maxima of The Netherlands also came a calling on the dabbawalas and witnessed them at the peak of their duties around noon, at the suburban Andheri station.