'Charpai' for Rs. 1 lakh? Yes, you read that right

Who thought that a regular Indian household item could trend on social media? Well, Indians certainly have a new thing to boast about (or not). A screenshot of an American e-commerce site Etsy selling a desi charpai has been shared across the internet. The generally cheap four-legged piece of furniture is listed for a whopping price of Rs 1,12,030 on Etsy.

For the uninitiated, charpai is a traditional handwoven bed from the Indian subcontinent. It is essentially a four-footed frame, which supports a handwoven net made of rope or belts of fabric. There are several names for it, but the most popular ones are charpai, charpoy, and charpaya, which literally translates to "four-footed." It is also known by the names khatiya, khatlo, khatt, and manji.

The e-commerce site has listed charpai as a "traditional Indian bed with very beautiful decor." It is stated in the product description that this is a handcrafted product created in India by a small company using materials like wood and jute ropes. Informing about its dimensions, the site wrote, "Width: 36 inches, Height: 72 inches, Depth: 18 inches."

Etsy Inc. is a website that specializes in vintage goods and craft materials. Charpais of different colors and sizes are being sold at a similar price. You are wrong if you thought people wouldn't pay that much for charpai. A screenshot shows that the e-commerce site has sold it all and only four of the cots are remaining in their stock.

This is not the first time a product was listed at a price way more than the original. Back in August 2022, French luxury fashion house Balenciaga introduced a bag that was inspired by a trash sack and cost $1,790 (Rs 1,46,828). It attracted eyeballs as it was apparently made of "90% calfskin, and 10% lambskin."