Ganesha Bazaar was born in 1990 when Nitash Morano met German-born Ajita on an ashram in India. It was love at first sight. It wasn't long before they were traveling the world together and got married. They started Ganesha Bazaar, yes, to make a living, but mostly so they could spend more time together.

Ajita had previously imported fabrics and some costumes to bellydancers in Germany, where interest in bellydance was growing due to the Middle Eastern influence of the local Turkish and Egyptian populations. So they decided to see if there was a bellydance scene in America. Like true gypsies they first started selling their bellydance clothes out of a VW camper van while they were homeless. They drove from state to state meeting bellydancers and bellydance teachers by day and camping out of the van by night. For a while without a home base, Ganesha Bazaar, didn't even have phone number or mailing address. (This was before cell phones and emails.) After a short time in Seattle, they eventually settled in Sedona, AZ.

In the Spring of 2004, Middle Eastern Dancer and costume designer Habib (also recently moved to Sedona from Seattle) met Nitash and Ajita and it changed her life forever. Nitash and Ajita passed on the Ganesha Bazaar business to Habib in Spring of 2005. To read more on Habib visit her site.

When in India, Habib likes having a real hands-on designing experience, because she wants to create the most aesthetically pleasing and functional costumes possible. Her "Sari Wallas" travel to all corners of India searching for these rare embroidered silks and fabrics. Often she goes through thousands of these saris at a time to select only the most beautiful. This always takes alot of time, but she doesn't really mind since she finds India so rich, exotic and fascinating. India always seems to somehow nourish the soul, no matter how hard and grueling the trips may sometimes be.

Many people have asked why Nitash, Ajita and Habib chose the name "Ganesha Bazaar" for their business name. They chose Ganesha, because he is the Hindi elephant God of fortune and luck. It was Ajita and Nitash's was of blessing the business. To them the name also symbolized a "new begging". Which was also why Habib decided to keep the name when she took over the business.

Over the years Ganesha Bazaar continues to change and evolve with Habib adding her own original and unique designs to the product line. Every year turns out to be a new chapter in the ever unfolding story of Ganesha Bazaar. We invite you to indulge yourself by shopping with us.

Besides online, you can find Ganesha Bazaar vending at various Bellydance Festivals such as Rakkasah West, Cairo Caravan and many others.