tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-347428972024-03-18T08:34:06.733+05:30Indian Bazaarsabout the Indian shop and the traditional bazaars in IndiaIndian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.comBlogger166125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-49074707891705431522013-10-04T21:10:00.001+05:302013-10-04T21:14:06.662+05:30a Blog on Citizen Matters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jkG8_3dnN7U/Uk7hMI_993I/AAAAAAAADMI/QYFXE4chguk/s1600/Everyday+City_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jkG8_3dnN7U/Uk7hMI_993I/AAAAAAAADMI/QYFXE4chguk/s200/Everyday+City_small.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Just started writing a blog on Citizen Matters...It's called EVERYDAY CITY.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Sharing here the link: <a href="http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/blogs/everyday-city">http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/blogs/everyday-city</a><br />
It's about how the everyday life of the city influences its urban spaces...<br />
<br /></div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-88096431819226097052013-09-14T16:51:00.000+05:302013-09-14T16:53:04.116+05:30Ganesha Bazaar at Malleswaram<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The first day of the Ganesha festival was Monday, the 9th of September. Today, it’s six days already since the festival began. If one were to step out onto the street here at Bannerghatta road in Bangalore, there would be little to tell us that it is Ganesha time. Our Bilekahalli locality is not a prominent marketplace, like the Malleswaram market or like Gandhi Bazaar. But, on the day before the start of the festival, this small bazaar comprising of just a few pushcart vendors was a place of celebration and festivity! That was for me the bit to contemplate about Ganesha festival this year. To know how small neighbourhood bazaars have so much happening during a festival and are totally joyous for that day.<br />
<br />
The next day evening, on Monday, the vendors were already dismantling their display systems, the metal tables that they had taken on hire for a day. The little Ganeshas that had been sitting on these tables all of Sunday and Monday were all gone. The banana leaves were not to be seen. There was garbage everywhere and it had been raining a little. Of course, it was all a mess and you couldn’t see any celebration any more. But, so what, Sunday had been a special day here!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-owlvxJ2bgzs/UjRFTev4yaI/AAAAAAAADLQ/m6y-cZ5Asn0/s1600/Ganesha+festival_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-owlvxJ2bgzs/UjRFTev4yaI/AAAAAAAADLQ/m6y-cZ5Asn0/s400/Ganesha+festival_1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
On the morning of Sunday, we had gone all the way to the Malleswaram flower market. It is quite far from our B.G.Road. We had been invited by cousins to a morning walk in Malleswaram which was to be followed by the traditional breakfast routine. The bazaar bit was exciting but the breakfast bit more exciting. I’ll come back to that later.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FGdN7mwfbT4/UjRFcil4njI/AAAAAAAADLY/p_QUnt1fvzM/s1600/Ganesha+festival_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FGdN7mwfbT4/UjRFcil4njI/AAAAAAAADLY/p_QUnt1fvzM/s400/Ganesha+festival_4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
We were now at the flower market. Of course, it was beautiful. And, it was busy. It was in fact very busy that morning. The stretch outside the market entrance had a long row of vendors selling banana leaves. They stood almost just off the footpath. No, they stood on the footpath, but the banana leaves stood on the road. I mean, there would be no place to walk otherwise. And, right there, was the Bus stop and people waiting for the bus. Nobody complained. Each one did what he or she had to do. Vendors looking after their banana leaves and lotus flowers, customers bargaining in voices that you couldn’t hear in that crowd and noise and commuters with their eyes on the road for the next bus.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sQqxKNNFLw4/UjRFqZo4ptI/AAAAAAAADLk/H4zPyJte7BE/s1600/Ganesha+festival_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sQqxKNNFLw4/UjRFqZo4ptI/AAAAAAAADLk/H4zPyJte7BE/s400/Ganesha+festival_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
And walking further down the road on 8th Cross was the real bazaar of the day, the Ganesha bazaar, where you could choose from the usual painted 'plaster of paris' Ganeshas or you could bring home the eco-friendly Ganesha. A report in <i>DNA</i> last year had written about this gradual change to eco-ganeshas: <a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/1736831/report-ganeshotsav-2012-clay-all-set-to-plaster-paris-out" target="_blank">Ganeshotsav 2012: Clay all set to plaster Paris out</a> and today an article in <i>The Times of India</i> writes about: <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/home-garden/Use-of-eco-friendly-Ganeshas-on-the-rise/articleshow/22576560.cms" target="_blank">Use of eco-friendly Ganeshas on the rise</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p5jv0xExVhM/UjRFtUEvHbI/AAAAAAAADLs/2RIBZyXHAUg/s1600/Ganesha+festival_6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p5jv0xExVhM/UjRFtUEvHbI/AAAAAAAADLs/2RIBZyXHAUg/s400/Ganesha+festival_6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Both of these newspaper articles are about the Ganesha in Bombay. For those in Bangalore, there’s more about the eco-ganeshas at <a href="http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/eco-friendly-earth-ganesha-bangalore-pollution" target="_blank">Eco-Ganesha: Where to find him, and why?</a>, a <i>Citizen Matters</i> article that talks about what is eco-ganesha, the do’s and don’ts for this Chaturthi and about ‘BBMP’s rules for the festive season’ which is quite good to read also because it makes you realise how much work and responsibility a festival can generate for a local municipality. It's more work for them with every festival we celebrate. Also, with the <i>Kadlekai Parishe</i> or Groundnut festival that happens at Bull temple road every year. I've written about that earlier at: <a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2012/12/policing-urban-space.html" target="_blank">Policing the Urban space</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1lZ4hUwS8Cs/UjRF_1_zmQI/AAAAAAAADLw/NXWp_Ivqes4/s1600/Ganesha+festival_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1lZ4hUwS8Cs/UjRF_1_zmQI/AAAAAAAADLw/NXWp_Ivqes4/s320/Ganesha+festival_5.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
Coming back to the streets of Malleswaram, there were also sweet vendors along the footpaths. Just as we had bought some and were already into eating the coconut barfi right there, it started to rain. We wished it hadn’t rained that morning. The vendors had to quickly cover their wares with large blue plastic sheets that they had ready with them. All the people who until then had been strolling casually and stopping at every few feet had to take shelter under some of the shop awnings. It wasn’t heavy rain, it was a drizzle, but everyone had to think of rushing their shopping and getting back home sooner.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
This wasn’t the end of our trip to Malleswaram. The rain had stopped after a while and we were on our way to Veena stores, for what were considered the best idlis this side of town. Our side of town (not Bannerghatta road, but further away at Basavanagudi) you could get good idlis at Brahmin café or at Vidyarthi Bhavan in <a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2010/04/bazaar-tour-gandhi-bazaar-bangalore.html" target="_blank">Gandhi Bazaar</a>. That was our favourite traditional place closest to home. Nothing else on the way, and, nothing on B.G.road could even be considered as a breakfast place to go to. But, yes, the Veena stores idlis were really good. We had been asked earlier by our cousins if idlis were what we wanted. Because, if we preferred dosas, then, they would have taken us to another part of Malleswaram!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P9dwq_7f_g8/UjRGV1dLZDI/AAAAAAAADL4/n3BAHmL2avo/s1600/Ganesha+festival_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P9dwq_7f_g8/UjRGV1dLZDI/AAAAAAAADL4/n3BAHmL2avo/s400/Ganesha+festival_3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I’m not done yet. There’s just a bit more. We happened to step into Naturals Icecream in the Adigas Lane on Bannerghatta road that same afternoon. We had to pick up some icecream for a lunch get-together. So, we go in and there’s some excitement in the air, with some people trying out the flavour of the day. And, what was that? The <i>prasadam</i> icecream. So, we tasted it and were told that it was the ‘modak’ flavour. Earlier, we had eaten the ‘panchamrutam’ icecream at Saravana Bhavan at the <a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2010/07/mylapore-temple-bazaar-chennai.html" target="_blank">Mylapore Bazaar</a> in Chennai. We always remember that one fondly. Here, the modak flavour had a distinct coconut and jaggery taste to it. Absolutely wonderful! For those of you who haven’t tasted it yet, it’s available until the tenth day of the Ganesha festival!<br />
<br />
I’ve uploaded a few other photos on the Indian Bazaars facebook page at: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.373051819492666.1073741829.282525258545323&type=1" target="_blank">Ganesha festival bazaar at Malleswaram</a>. Please do check it out!<br />
<br /></div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-15423689821544552212013-08-21T11:11:00.001+05:302013-08-21T11:21:13.472+05:30Rakhi Bazaar: a Photo essay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Each time I go to Manek chowk in Ahmedabad, the streets look different, completely different. The last time I went there, it was around the Holi festival and you could tell that Holi was just around the corner, because everywhere, you saw the Pichkaris and the holi colours. If you were to go there in January, around the Sankranti festival, there’s kites everywhere!! And, Diwali time, it’s fire crackers and the paper lanterns and all kinds of lights! The more I see of Manek chowk, the more I wonder about its innate nature to absorb, to adapt. It seems to soak in whatever happens in the city – if people celebrate Holi, the streets of Manek chowk celebrate Holi; if people celebrate Diwali, the streets of Manek chowk are lights and firecrackers!<br />
<br />
And right now, it’s the Raksha Bandhan festival and there’s Rakhis everywhere! It’s like seeing the reflection of nature in water…whatever is outside is there inside the water, nothing more, nothing less.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7frv-KJAvCk/UhRSRoOMBdI/AAAAAAAADJs/H560ZNRZSWE/s1600/IMG_8203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7frv-KJAvCk/UhRSRoOMBdI/AAAAAAAADJs/H560ZNRZSWE/s400/IMG_8203.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t16vVafbDxA/UhRSa6evrhI/AAAAAAAADJ0/AUr1VUpzbyA/s1600/IMG_8212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t16vVafbDxA/UhRSa6evrhI/AAAAAAAADJ0/AUr1VUpzbyA/s400/IMG_8212.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OzyLofYjxpU/UhRUrRhl4WI/AAAAAAAADKw/_uvasGHmKKI/s1600/IMG_8192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OzyLofYjxpU/UhRUrRhl4WI/AAAAAAAADKw/_uvasGHmKKI/s640/IMG_8192.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gjsJDyDSMyc/UhRSkoWTomI/AAAAAAAADKE/Mq7inf9cNvk/s1600/IMG_8202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gjsJDyDSMyc/UhRSkoWTomI/AAAAAAAADKE/Mq7inf9cNvk/s400/IMG_8202.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nmWfsjYF5HU/UhRSpzlAFxI/AAAAAAAADKM/wcmHXJONEkE/s1600/IMG_8204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nmWfsjYF5HU/UhRSpzlAFxI/AAAAAAAADKM/wcmHXJONEkE/s400/IMG_8204.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QarXJp0jhsc/UhRVIypykLI/AAAAAAAADK4/OMVQeboCkEw/s1600/IMG_8215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QarXJp0jhsc/UhRVIypykLI/AAAAAAAADK4/OMVQeboCkEw/s400/IMG_8215.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PyUF6L6ZLVU/UhRVOACFgdI/AAAAAAAADLA/v59WjvnwoWQ/s1600/IMG_8225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PyUF6L6ZLVU/UhRVOACFgdI/AAAAAAAADLA/v59WjvnwoWQ/s400/IMG_8225.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Related Posts:<br />
<a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2011/03/holi-bazaar.html" target="_blank">Holi Bazaar</a><br />
<br /></div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-29114479281742645602013-07-14T13:21:00.000+05:302013-07-14T13:27:50.677+05:30Life in the Streets<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
'Life in the Streets' is a 4-day workshop for architecture students and young professionals to be held <b>at Dakshinachitra, Chennai from 15th to 18th aug 2013</b>. The focus of the workshop is to develop a “way of seeing” the Indian Street that accepts and understands that while the Street is ‘Connector’ (meant for people and cars to move) it also enables social, cultural, religious, political, and economic practices that are unique to our country. How can we bring about small changes in our perception and that of others through documenting ‘how people use street space’ and interpreting the observations in the context of how our cities are developing?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2uug5_2rh_s/UeJXNDJS0iI/AAAAAAAADJM/vYt4Oi-93Hs/s1600/STREETS_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2uug5_2rh_s/UeJXNDJS0iI/AAAAAAAADJM/vYt4Oi-93Hs/s400/STREETS_small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The workshop begins with sessions that help look at our streets and neighbourhoods differently. There are walking tours to observe and document experiences through photographs, films, sketches, diary accounts, maps and interviews. The urban practices that are documented are analysed through brain-storming sessions as well as discussions on key issues that emerge. Finally, the participants rethink and replan a Street with the collective knowledge that the workshop brings about. While the core audience is architecture students, students from disciplines that engage with public spaces are also welcome to apply, such as design, social sciences, etc.<br />
<br />
To register, write to: mcfindia@gmail.com or call Ms.Vishalam at ph: 044 24462435 / 24918943. For a detailed programme, check out: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/lifeinthestreetsindia/">www.facebook.com/groups/lifeinthestreetsindia/</a><br />
<br />
<b>To all Readers: </b>Please do share this on facebook!<br />
<br /></div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-23770081333271479142013-05-18T16:46:00.002+05:302013-05-18T16:47:37.685+05:30Water melons and Street space<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There is ‘Street Space’ and there is ‘Virtual Space’ and watermelons are there both places. Some people find the time to walk the Street and to bargain over a watermelon purchase. Others prefer to sit at the computer and order it online at the click of a button. It is about how much time you have. What does this mean? Why is it that people in some cities have more time and some have less time? Why are people in some places called “laid-back”and are easy-going and unhurried? What gives time its value?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u28WqqKWzT4/UZdixIiNTuI/AAAAAAAADIk/ex2Qd6SpMkg/s1600/BigBasket_watermelon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u28WqqKWzT4/UZdixIiNTuI/AAAAAAAADIk/ex2Qd6SpMkg/s400/BigBasket_watermelon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
In his book, ‘A Geography of Time’, Robert Levine points out that cities and cultures across the world seem to keep time a bit differently from one another. In his research, Levine works towards getting objective indicators of the pace of life. He measures people’s walking speed, their talking speed and their work speed. He finds that places that have warmer climates tend to have a slower pace of life. Places that are economically vital tend to be faster. The vital economy puts pressure on people to make every moment count.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mod1odf3vuQ/UZdipSeLJSI/AAAAAAAADIc/WDsNWFmcL4U/s1600/IMG_0425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mod1odf3vuQ/UZdipSeLJSI/AAAAAAAADIc/WDsNWFmcL4U/s400/IMG_0425.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Coming back to the watermelons, when does one order them online? When we don’t have the time to go out to shop for them on the street? An image of it becomes available for us in virtual space, to see and to order. No real space is used. But, the watermelons that are delivered to our homes are real and they need to be stored in real space before the final dispatch happens. These watermelons occupy real space, but not street space. This does not mean that cities where the pace of life is faster have streets that are empty with everything being bought or sold in virtual space.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--oXlhuExahg/UZdi8ijMjoI/AAAAAAAADIs/wRZiO7Te15A/s1600/Basavanagudi+watermelon+vendor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--oXlhuExahg/UZdi8ijMjoI/AAAAAAAADIs/wRZiO7Te15A/s400/Basavanagudi+watermelon+vendor.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
On one side of the Krishnarao Park at Basavanagudi in Bangalore, there sits a watermelon vendor occupying a huge part of the footpath there. Perhaps, it is the wide footpath and the proximity to Krishnarao Park that makes this an attractive location for him. It is anyway a matter of a few months only. Watermelons are a seasonal fruit and he will not occupy this space forever. But, these watermelons change the visual landscape of the street.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PRY7X8QPtGs/UZdjCqeVWLI/AAAAAAAADI0/47wtL-to0XQ/s1600/IMG_0429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PRY7X8QPtGs/UZdjCqeVWLI/AAAAAAAADI0/47wtL-to0XQ/s400/IMG_0429.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
You walk through almost any street in the Gandhi Bazaar or Basavanagudi area and there isn’t a dull moment. We do not in India need to plan for an “active street edge” as some cities in western countries do. Here, we have them already. What we do need to do is to figure out how we can smoothen the conflict between what street space belongs to the car, what belongs to the pedestrian and what belongs to the vendor. How does one do that?</div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-15077659197099263912013-04-11T21:56:00.001+05:302013-04-11T21:59:52.881+05:30Trade and Commerce in Bangalore District<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A few days ago, I was going through the ‘Bangalore District Gazetteer’. The 'oldness' and the 'dustiness' of the Gazetteer just seemed to add to the authenticity of a "gazetteer". The stories were mostly likeable bringing in a sense of wonder and revealing a past that I did not know. I looked for “markets” and “bazaars” on its index page. Sharing here some excerpts from it – the ones that I found most interesting were the ones with names of localities in the city that we know today but are so completely transformed from the “old days”, for instance, it talks of Sarjapur as being “noted for Muslin cloth” and so on. So, here we go…<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vtmaIMT3xkg/UWbkB_o3_EI/AAAAAAAADG8/_gWWYapGiuM/s1600/Betel+nut+in+Mysore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vtmaIMT3xkg/UWbkB_o3_EI/AAAAAAAADG8/_gWWYapGiuM/s400/Betel+nut+in+Mysore.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<i>a Betel nut shop in Mysore, 2010</i><br />
<br />
“Bangalore grew in importance after its development by the Kempegowda family who made it their capital by strengthening it with a fort and providing for various streets meant for the craftsmen and various groups of traders. Chikkadevaraj Wodeyar of Mysore (1672-1704) after getting Bangalore as ‘<i>jahgir</i>’ from Mughals encouraged trading activity by introducing uniform weights and measures and postal services for the first time. By then, separate markets were built for different trades viz. <i>Aralepete</i> for weavers and sari merchants, <i>Akkipete</i> for rice merchants, <i>Nagarthapete</i> for goldsmiths, <i>Doddapete</i> for wholesale, <i>Chickpete</i> for retail, etc.”<br />
<br />
“The travel account of Buchanan who visited Bangalore in 1800 gives an exhaustive account of trading and commercial activities of Bangalore. According to him, apart from Bangalore, neighbouring villages like Agara, Halasur, Hesaraghatta, Varthur and Kengeri were centres of brisk wholesale trade. Sarjapur near Anekal was noted for Muslin cloth. Saries manufactured at Aralepete were famous throughout the State and were exported to far off places like Mangalore, Bellary, Bombay and other places near sea ports.”<br />
<br />
“From other sources (a missionary’s chronicle) it is learnt that in the days of Haider and Tipu, in addition to salt, sulphur, indigo, tamarind, caustic soda, alum, zinc, lac, wax, gum and arsenic were brought from Madras. Flower and betel leaves came from Attibele. Betel leaves also came from Mysore and Harihar. Indigo came from Anekal and Bommasandra, kamblis (country blankets) from Kamblipura in Anekal taluk. Salem and Pondicherry had regular trade connections with Bangalore during 18th century. Tanjore merchants sold pearls in Bangalore and took back cash.”<br />
<br />
“During the period of Bowring (1862-67) important roads connecting Bangalore with Kadur, Hassan, Hoskote, Kadapa, Hosur and Bellary were constructed, railway links were established with Madras (1864) with Channapatna (1881) with Tumkur (1884) and finally connecting with Bombay promoting rail-road traffic of goods and passengers.”<br />
<br />
“During 1934-35 sandalwood oil from Bangalore was exported to London, Japan and Australia. By 1934-35, the local tobacco co. (Tobacco Manufacturers India) used to export cigars valued at Rs. 1 ½ crores to Bombay, Calcutta and Delhi. A record of 1940 reveals that cattle shows were held at Bangalore and this was usually at Sampangi tank. Conducting annual market shows was a regular feature, where exhibits of good products were appreciated and rewarded. Mutton shows were organized in January every year, at the Russell market.”<br />
<br />
Now, a bit of the curiosity is satiated but some other questions… “tanjore merchants sold pearls in Bangalore and took back cash” what is the pearl trade like now??! Or “cattle shows at Sampangi tank” – would someone still have pictures of that??!<br />
<br />
<i>Reference: Kamath, Suryakant. Bangalore District: Karnataka State Gazetteer, Gazetteer of India, Government of Karnataka, 1990</i><br />
<br /></div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-19007449551557969612013-03-29T20:52:00.000+05:302013-03-29T20:53:42.634+05:30Who Moved My Tomato?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
While the book ‘<em>Who Moved My Cheese</em>’ by Spencer Johnson is about how people can adapt to change in their lives, this blogpost ‘Who Moved My Tomato?’ is about the entrepreneurial spirit within the informal tomato markets in India which rests on the belief that ‘change is constant’. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qtqRM8KvIVc/UVWuwmfz1YI/AAAAAAAADFk/ThwwoNsp7rE/s1600/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qtqRM8KvIVc/UVWuwmfz1YI/AAAAAAAADFk/ThwwoNsp7rE/s400/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_1.JPG" width="400" /></a>It may be that the onion wholesale markets or the potato wholesale markets are not so different. However, we had the chance to visit the wholesale tomato market at Vaddahalli and observed what goes on there. It is in the Mulbagal taluk in Kolar district, just off the NH4, about 90km from Bangalore and has been functioning since the past 25 years. We saw how farmers, commission agents, wholesale dealers and retailers involved in the tomato trade accept that ‘change happens’ and how they adapt to it. Each year and each season, the output from the field is likely to differ and the demand from the markets is also differs. Every day a new price is fixed for the tomatoes that depends on how many crates the farmers bring in and how many kilos the commission agent thinks he can sell. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lZQtBeJ-hf0/UVWvKAyA_HI/AAAAAAAADFs/2SxhK6p4UXI/s1600/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lZQtBeJ-hf0/UVWvKAyA_HI/AAAAAAAADFs/2SxhK6p4UXI/s400/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_2.JPG" width="400" /></a>The tomato traders can “anticipate change” in that they know from their informal interactions with fellow workers or with customers that there will be an increase in the demand in the coming season, either because there was a sudden rise in demand at the same time the previous year or because they have been told that in the current year, a particular crop season coincides with the marriage season, i.e. there may be many days in those months that are auspicious for marriages and the demand for tomatoes will be high. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Dh4Bz2P_ss/UVWvTEq0FTI/AAAAAAAADF0/u5W4pidxiSc/s1600/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Dh4Bz2P_ss/UVWvTEq0FTI/AAAAAAAADF0/u5W4pidxiSc/s400/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_3.JPG" width="400" /></a>The traders can “monitor change” or “smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old”. In the case of the market for tomatoes, it is about knowing whether the crop must be harvested early or late. If the demand is high in the local areas, the tomatoes can be harvested when they are almost fully ripe. If the demand is low in the local areas but is fairly good in faraway towns and cities, the tomatoes must travel longer distances and need to be harvested when they are still green. The green tomatoes fetch a better price than the ripened, red tomatoes. The ripening of the tomatoes is a function of the weather. At certain times of the year, the tomatoes ripen faster and while they are still small in size.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-74ETWxs4g2w/UVWvcGNd3iI/AAAAAAAADF8/kPHi0QgYalY/s1600/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-74ETWxs4g2w/UVWvcGNd3iI/AAAAAAAADF8/kPHi0QgYalY/s400/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_4.JPG" width="400" /></a>There is a multitude of ways in which the tomato moves from the hands of the farmer in the village to the hands of the small retailer in the city. The market at Vaddahalli has 43 commission agents. Anyone can start a commission agency, however, the challenge is in getting farmers who would be willing to supply the tomatoes. Most farmers live and work within a radius of 50km from this market and have already established a relationship with a Commission agent. For a new Commission agent, business can only come from bringing in new farmers by assisting them with loans or providing them with saplings for a better crop. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2qonHflfmM0/UVWvmdfNQQI/AAAAAAAADGE/A2uGXl__dRg/s1600/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2qonHflfmM0/UVWvmdfNQQI/AAAAAAAADGE/A2uGXl__dRg/s400/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_5.JPG" width="400" /></a>The tomatoes are brought in every morning by the farmers and handed over to the Commission agents who then auction them at the Vaddahalli market starting at 9am every day. The farmers also spend money on transporting the tomatoes from their villages to the Vaddahalli market. The tempo drivers charge Rs.6 per plastic crate for the transportation. This includes picking up the tomatoes from the farmer and then, taking the boxes back to the village, so that the farmer can bring his produce again, which is done once in three days. Some Commission agents own 5000 plastic crates. During circulation some of the crates get misplaced and this loss is borne by the commission agent. Each empty plastic crate costs him Rs.15. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k1hAMSG1-1I/UVWvwABlQWI/AAAAAAAADGM/3XvIOh-ZFiQ/s1600/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k1hAMSG1-1I/UVWvwABlQWI/AAAAAAAADGM/3XvIOh-ZFiQ/s400/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_6.JPG" width="400" /></a>The selling of tomatoes between the farmers and the commission agents is based on volume and not by weight. It is ‘how many’ crates, where each crate of tomatoes can weigh upto 14-15 kilos and can be priced at anywhere from Rs.15-20 per crate to Rs.300 per crate. This means that the lower price range can bring the farmer Rs.1/kg. The pricing is based on the size, the colour and the firmness of the tomatoes. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C8NZvlAho3s/UVWv53R2k7I/AAAAAAAADGU/RmOJLN-OCME/s1600/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C8NZvlAho3s/UVWv53R2k7I/AAAAAAAADGU/RmOJLN-OCME/s400/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_7.JPG" width="400" /></a>The commission agent gets about ten percent of the final price. So, if a crate of tomatoes is sold for Rs.20 at the Vaddahalli market, the tempo driver gets Rs.6, the labour for plucking in the village costs Rs.3 and the commission agent gets Rs.2. The farmer’s profit is Rs.9 for every 14 kilos of tomatoes that he brings. A farmer gets 100 crates per acre for every 3 days.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WIlE9mMqEvw/UVWwF5M6iPI/AAAAAAAADGc/KH3yrsOQl8o/s1600/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WIlE9mMqEvw/UVWwF5M6iPI/AAAAAAAADGc/KH3yrsOQl8o/s400/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_8.JPG" width="400" /></a>The buyers at the auctions are the “agents” of the wholesale traders from various cities. It could be Chennai in Tamil Nadu or Guntur in Andhra Pradesh where the tomatoes are supplied to. These agents get a five-day credit period from the commission agents. However, the commission agents have to make the payment to the farmer almost immediately. In addition, the commission agents have to ensure that good saplings go to the farmer. The price of the saplings is deducted from the sale proceeds. So, the commission agents are crucial cogs in this entire market process. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OU4euQ3twy0/UVWwdFLbWbI/AAAAAAAADGk/fENZR6I7wLo/s1600/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OU4euQ3twy0/UVWwdFLbWbI/AAAAAAAADGk/fENZR6I7wLo/s400/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_9.JPG" width="400" /></a>Last year, at this time, each crate of tomatoes was selling at Vaddahalli market for Rs.300. Because of the high demand, this year more farmers planted tomatoes and the price has dropped drastically with supply being in such abundance. The agents need to be in the know of what is happening in the cities so that they can fix the price accordingly. If they don’t do that, they may sell the tomatoes at a much lower price than what the market is willing to pay and it is the local intermediaries that make large profits as a result. </div>
<br />
There are two varieties of tomatoes: the natti (indigenous) variety and the hybrid variety. The Vaddahalli market is the hub for the natti variety. There are other wholesale tomato markets at Madanapalle, Kolar and Malur. Each of these markets have their own commission agents and their own set of farmers. The farmers sometimes can sell at multiple markets, so it is in the best interest of the commission agent that he doesn’t let his farmer go away to another agent or to another market. This is done by getting nurseries to give them saplings when they need them, ensuring that the farmers get a good price for their produce and giving them their payments on time. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LjRlalEBrVk/UVWwoVi146I/AAAAAAAADGs/dYnGPXmitG4/s1600/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LjRlalEBrVk/UVWwoVi146I/AAAAAAAADGs/dYnGPXmitG4/s400/Vaddahalli+tomato+market_10.JPG" width="400" /></a>Coming back to the <em>Who moved my cheese</em> analogy where cheese is representative of happiness and success, what does the tomato here represent? For the Bazaar entrepreneur, ‘finding new cheese’ is about ‘finding new opportunities’. The key to success in the tomato trade seems to lie in knowing how much to grow, how often to harvest, how to deliver to the rural and urban markets, how to distribute, how to price and how to reinvest in the business again. You need to be innovative, efficient and productive whilst the environment around you is constantly changing. And, it seems that those who find new ways to respond to the ground reality are likely to experience greater success. </div>
<br />
<em>(I would like to thank Keshava Reddy for identifying this market for us and for conducting the interviews on which this blogpost is based)</em><br />
</div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-81033979654162676362013-03-21T12:25:00.002+05:302013-03-23T22:13:24.556+05:30The Ancient Market Place, Kingston upon Thames<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">a Guestpost by RADHA VIJAY.</span> We were in Kingston upon Thames, waiting for my daughter to join us, and with an hour to spare we wandered towards the market place. While most people tell you that High Streets in the UK look more or less the same, this one we could tell was definitely different. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pSw_fhuvMZk/UUqkXpcD_aI/AAAAAAAADDk/AMRGXhzMzns/s1600/Pic+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pSw_fhuvMZk/UUqkXpcD_aI/AAAAAAAADDk/AMRGXhzMzns/s400/Pic+1.JPG" width="400" /></a>The <em>Ancient Market Place</em>, has an old world charm about it. Buildings that had seemed right out of history books, the medieval street pattern, a gilded statue, a fountain, a church in the background. It was really enchanting.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HT33Ej-96NE/UUqkgkwAzPI/AAAAAAAADDs/4JzXALEANZM/s1600/Pic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HT33Ej-96NE/UUqkgkwAzPI/AAAAAAAADDs/4JzXALEANZM/s400/Pic+2.jpg" width="400" /></a>And we were right in our thinking, a panel in one of the many connecting alleys traced the background of the market square. Established in 1170 in the time of Henry II, it was then the focal point of the local trade, the governance and hospitality</div>
<br />
Kingston market place was the center of the planned town dating from Saxon times. Well connected to the river and road and thus convenient for traders. At the centre of the market place is an old Victorian building from 1840 that now houses the Tourist Information Center. An imposing gold gilded statue of Queen Anne stands in front of it. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-omkTghVBOMs/UUqlEas2ZRI/AAAAAAAADD0/50JXWY-Rb4w/s1600/Pic+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-omkTghVBOMs/UUqlEas2ZRI/AAAAAAAADD0/50JXWY-Rb4w/s400/Pic+3.JPG" width="383" /></a>Surrounding the hall are about 25 fixed market stalls of 3 metres by 2.5 metres. Mainly selling fresh produce ranging from meat, fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers and baked goods. And one odd store that seemed hugely popular too, selling second hand DVDs! Not all traders operate on a daily basis so one can find a shuttered stall off and on.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hqnnqs8sWYM/UUqlXpPsOSI/AAAAAAAADEE/NjEiyOFHFFA/s1600/Pic+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hqnnqs8sWYM/UUqlXpPsOSI/AAAAAAAADEE/NjEiyOFHFFA/s400/Pic+5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n54Dg67XecU/UUqlcN_X8TI/AAAAAAAADEM/XCz2plSYbFY/s1600/Pic+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n54Dg67XecU/UUqlcN_X8TI/AAAAAAAADEM/XCz2plSYbFY/s400/Pic+6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hBCHG8Uc6cQ/UUqlS5c_gaI/AAAAAAAADD8/dGMdDE_2CFI/s1600/Pic+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hBCHG8Uc6cQ/UUqlS5c_gaI/AAAAAAAADD8/dGMdDE_2CFI/s400/Pic+4.JPG" width="400" /></a>Apart from this, the streets are lined with well-known brands in quaint buildings. Spas, pubs, book stores, cafes, making the area very popular with the residents. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1PbUHB3s7F4/UUqllx1TloI/AAAAAAAADEU/qvJ5rRFEswQ/s1600/Pic+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1PbUHB3s7F4/UUqllx1TloI/AAAAAAAADEU/qvJ5rRFEswQ/s400/Pic+7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Jack Wills brand that prides themselves at being Fabulously British, houses their stores in historical buildings across the country. This store in Kingston, has the Tudor facades added in 1909 and 1929.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R_h-fKtXbA8/UUqlvKvLzXI/AAAAAAAADEc/7HmHwrHhupA/s1600/Pic+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R_h-fKtXbA8/UUqlvKvLzXI/AAAAAAAADEc/7HmHwrHhupA/s200/Pic+8.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />
The Millet store building was also a restaurant from 1901 to 1932 when the ground floor was converted to a shop.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sYrAaqLAnx8/UUql0UWwhTI/AAAAAAAADEk/4W1estwRQcw/s1600/Pic+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sYrAaqLAnx8/UUql0UWwhTI/AAAAAAAADEk/4W1estwRQcw/s400/Pic+9.jpg" width="400" /></a>The Druids Head is Kingston’s oldest pub dating from the 17th Century. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--e3yQUgBuCU/UUql9KzmN5I/AAAAAAAADEs/o0PFkLkHrEk/s1600/Pic+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--e3yQUgBuCU/UUql9KzmN5I/AAAAAAAADEs/o0PFkLkHrEk/s400/Pic+10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
The Joules building also has the dates inscribed AD 1422 to 1922. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X71PWalprl4/UUqmCxjPmhI/AAAAAAAADE0/gaSSZOFyG1k/s1600/Pic+11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X71PWalprl4/UUqmCxjPmhI/AAAAAAAADE0/gaSSZOFyG1k/s400/Pic+11.JPG" width="400" /></a>There was a busker playing the accordian. Musicians here do not need a license to play their music in the market place. But they need to follow certain rules to ensure they are not creating a Noise Nuisance. These are simple. Do not stay in the same place too long. No indiscriminate use of amplifiers. Do not block pathways, entrances. Do not sell anything. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ufqs1-nLNRo/UUqmMxPrF6I/AAAAAAAADE8/vYzJvlBu2us/s1600/pic+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ufqs1-nLNRo/UUqmMxPrF6I/AAAAAAAADE8/vYzJvlBu2us/s400/pic+12.jpg" width="400" /><br />
</a>If you wanted to pick up a coffee at Costa and not be confined to their little café, you could walk out and use the street furniture provided by them. Or, if you were not a customer but wanted to rest in any case, there were some stone benches that you could use. </div>
<br />
To me, it looked perfect. We had a baby to mind, and we were comfortably moving around with her in a pram. The area was pedestrianised and apart from the weather, we had little to worry about. So, it was surprising when I read about a plan for revitalisation of the area. I wondered what more they could do to improve this lovely place.<br />
<br />
Well, it appears to be a part of the Mayor of London’s Outer London Fund, to bring about vibrancy and economic growth to high streets across London. Even though it is already an important venue for traders, they think a makeover can improve trading, aesthetic and overall appearance of the Market Place and the Market House leading to increased footfall. <br />
<br />
They have been going about it systematically over the past two years. Consulting with businesses, stake holders and local residents. After intial concept proposals, direct interaction with people, 3000 newsletters were distributed, comments were studied to serve as further guidance to develop the proposals. Market-Trader sessions, Community Market events, workshops with stakeholders, and Drop-in exhibitions were also conducted.<br />
<br />
There were issues of:<br />
• <span style="font-size: x-small;">removal of street clutter</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">• lighting scheme to create inclusive public space with character and drama</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">• making waste storage and waste compaction part of the proposal</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">• more free seating</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">• improving safety</span><br />
<br />
However, the priority was clear. The history of the area had to be protected and showcased. The present arrangement, it was felt, was obscuring the view of the Market Hall with the stalls blocking the views of the magnificent arches of the building. The image to the left is the side of the Hall as it is now - and to the right - a projection of how the place should look.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XUXCu3ZBlCg/UUqmmFZzqvI/AAAAAAAADFE/tlya5AoXi54/s1600/pic+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XUXCu3ZBlCg/UUqmmFZzqvI/AAAAAAAADFE/tlya5AoXi54/s400/pic+13.jpg" width="400" /></a>(The image at the right and the ones that follow are from literature available online on revitalisation of Kingston Upon Thames)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xmOKx-r7gR0/UUqmuRm2mbI/AAAAAAAADFM/cUQm9Ti8bIw/s1600/pic+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xmOKx-r7gR0/UUqmuRm2mbI/AAAAAAAADFM/cUQm9Ti8bIw/s400/pic+14.jpg" width="400" /></a>There is a suggestion of a technique of picking out the building lines using banding on banding in paving to encourage the eye line to look up at the building</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oOSBFe47lec/UUqm14IwYpI/AAAAAAAADFU/9Ay0HWPrrn8/s1600/pic+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oOSBFe47lec/UUqm14IwYpI/AAAAAAAADFU/9Ay0HWPrrn8/s400/pic+15.jpg" width="400" /></a>There is a focus on non-retail activities once the stalls closed in the evening as well as lighting that highlights the architecture.</div>
It would be interesting to see how the area will eventually be transformed. What amazes me is the pride the people have in their heritage. In our country, we have always seen the old giving way to new. And in most cases, quaint charming old mansions were deemed to be unfit and without a thought broken down to give way to a new mall that did not blend with the rest of the neighbourhood. But here, even though I was only just a visitor, it gladdened my heart to think of the planning that went into a renovation and projects that were made public even before the implementation. <br />
<br />
I am hoping that next year, I will be able to make a trip once again to see if the place lives up to all the wonderful ideas in the pipeline. Maybe another post then?<br />
<br />
<em>(Thanks, Radha…for sharing the post and for the photographs! I really appreciate this…)</em><br />
<br />
Please do check out Radha’s blogs at: <a href="http://ifmacancooksocanyou.blogspot.in/" target="_blank">A Liberal Dose of Masala</a> and <a href="http://mommyliciousma.blogspot.in/" target="_blank">The Musings of a Night Owl</a><br />
</div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-62589766671038326612013-03-09T07:15:00.002+05:302013-03-18T08:06:42.961+05:30Indian Bazaars Facebook Page<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kn6JqqbFFVs/UTqTY2ZnNTI/AAAAAAAADDQ/osE8UjhRsqk/s1600/Indian+Bazaars_plastic+buckets.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kn6JqqbFFVs/UTqTY2ZnNTI/AAAAAAAADDQ/osE8UjhRsqk/s200/Indian+Bazaars_plastic+buckets.png" width="200" /></a>I took a long time to get to Facebook and now finally there's an Indian Bazaars facebook page! I'll be posting links to articles and blogposts related to marketplaces in India and elsewhere and sometimes links to NEWS about what's going on with our Bazaars. The idea is to continue sharing thoughts on the Indian Bazaar and to take it further into how the Indian Street has a unique character made possible by the social and cultural life of the Bazaar that happens there! </div>
<br />
Please "LIKE" the <strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Indian-Bazaars/282525258545323?ref=hl" target="_blank">Indian Bazaars facebook page</a></strong> and post your comments and ideas as often as you can!!<br />
</div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-28537255180280126492013-02-27T18:30:00.000+05:302013-03-02T15:25:56.047+05:30The flowers were there…<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
but, where was the market? There was nothing to identify this as a market building. Nothing to identify it as a market street either. There was no street. Just some space between randomly built one-storeyed brick and concrete structures. There were flowers everywhere. People selling flowers. People buying flowers. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S4wxJzlGgPE/US4BxBFestI/AAAAAAAADBI/xfctYqwsOgs/s1600/Flower+market_Tiruvannamalai_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S4wxJzlGgPE/US4BxBFestI/AAAAAAAADBI/xfctYqwsOgs/s400/Flower+market_Tiruvannamalai_1.JPG" width="400" /></a>From the street outside, I had seen huge flower garlands in yellow, crimson and green. If it wasn’t the size of those garlands, I would have never noticed the flower vendors. I would not have sensed that perhaps I could walk between these two shops and there would be something beyond. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U0hRj2SU5uM/US4B7PqZS2I/AAAAAAAADBQ/68YDtQ57tTY/s1600/Flower+market_Tiruvannamalai_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U0hRj2SU5uM/US4B7PqZS2I/AAAAAAAADBQ/68YDtQ57tTY/s400/Flower+market_Tiruvannamalai_2.JPG" width="400" /></a>I walked towards the flower shops and then between them. It was just more yellow, crimson and green garlands on both sides. Couldn’t see anything or anybody. Then, heard voices of vendors calling out to ask if I wanted to buy. That was for a brief moment. What the eyes saw just completely erased the words in the air. I didn’t hear them anymore. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tVCOWFIFlns/US4CDF0vzwI/AAAAAAAADBY/vEZRKpWEuZM/s1600/Flower+market_Tiruvannamalai_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tVCOWFIFlns/US4CDF0vzwI/AAAAAAAADBY/vEZRKpWEuZM/s400/Flower+market_Tiruvannamalai_3.JPG" width="400" /></a>The market had no “entrance”. Yet, if this was not a magnificent way to enter any place, what was? I still can’t get over the fact that I would have never known that I could enter a flower market here. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IuAWwMmg38I/US4CpR7pyjI/AAAAAAAADBo/6vdkKm9sbU0/s1600/Flower+market_Tiruvannamalai_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IuAWwMmg38I/US4CpR7pyjI/AAAAAAAADBo/6vdkKm9sbU0/s400/Flower+market_Tiruvannamalai_5.JPG" width="400" /></a>Further down, there were more shops selling flowers. It was a busy time. It was 8.30 in the morning. Sacks full of loose flowers being weighed on large weighing scales everywhere one went. No designated paths for customers. No designated operation spaces for vendors. Could I derive from this a plan for the marketplace? It just seemed like a ‘plan with no plan’. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Xiyo4l-5AM/US4Cyp274dI/AAAAAAAADBw/JnlnGFP7QOc/s1600/Flower+market_Tiruvannamalai_6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Xiyo4l-5AM/US4Cyp274dI/AAAAAAAADBw/JnlnGFP7QOc/s400/Flower+market_Tiruvannamalai_6.JPG" width="400" /></a>I remembered then the walk through Pedana, a town near Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh where a little boy had taken us through a random but informative weaving tour as we went through a back alley into a weaver’s house, through a courtyard where yarn was being dyed and through the interior where the weavers sat at their looms and again through the frontyard into yet another street. I think informal economy anywhere in India creates the same sense of ‘place’ – one that cannot be defined or fathomed but one that has a presence nevertheless. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f_NIq6x5aZk/US4C5sr11fI/AAAAAAAADB4/wDq5tbPAl_o/s1600/Flower+market_Tiruvannamalai_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f_NIq6x5aZk/US4C5sr11fI/AAAAAAAADB4/wDq5tbPAl_o/s400/Flower+market_Tiruvannamalai_4.JPG" width="400" /></a>From this series of shops, if I turned left it took me to this tea stall which I had seen from the street earlier. The tea stall was not so far from the “street corner” I had sat at the previous morning, at the junction of Asaliamman Koil street and Tiruvoodal street. I retraced my steps back from the tea stall to the small junction in the flower market that I had first arrived at and turned right. More shops. Many transactions.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RPmJW1US4Ig/US4DDV3xdII/AAAAAAAADCA/sVq6_lmFKFQ/s1600/Flower+market_Tiruvannamalai_7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RPmJW1US4Ig/US4DDV3xdII/AAAAAAAADCA/sVq6_lmFKFQ/s400/Flower+market_Tiruvannamalai_7.JPG" width="400" /></a>There was a continuous stream of people with large sacks of flowers on their heads climbing steps and disappearing behind the houses there. There was perhaps something more behind there. I climbed the steps. Where was this going to lead to? I came out onto a street. There were clay pots everywhere. I had seen this corner before. It was the corner you reached if you turned right from the main east entrance of the Arunachaleswarar temple. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-diJxkuJxBpE/US4DJ5lez1I/AAAAAAAADCI/BzxipkKFzi4/s1600/Flower+market_Tiruvannamalai_8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-diJxkuJxBpE/US4DJ5lez1I/AAAAAAAADCI/BzxipkKFzi4/s400/Flower+market_Tiruvannamalai_8.JPG" width="400" /></a>A few houses, paths between houses and a flower market had happened. There was maybe nothing to plan? Markets in India just happened, where people walked and where paths crossed. Was anyone asking, ‘Is this a good location?’ ‘Is this a good plan?’ or ‘Is this a good design?’. It seemed not to matter. ‘Was business here good?’ ‘How did one begin to sell here?’ or ‘How much income could one make with selling of flowers?’ Those were the questions that mattered to a vendor and a ‘place for exchange’ perhaps had to be able to answer that.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
</div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-74603535354307940572013-02-15T22:09:00.002+05:302013-02-16T10:11:16.416+05:30Mapping the City<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You create a map of the city when you walk through it. You absorb one step at a time, one image after another. There is a simultaneous assimilation of the visual images and what you hear, what you think. You put aside some of these perceptions and thoughts in your mind. These are our memories of the city. <br />
<br />
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ifnRRIY7I24/UR5jWTJQaII/AAAAAAAAC9k/ybOQshJXz_M/s1600/Tiruvannamalai_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ifnRRIY7I24/UR5jWTJQaII/AAAAAAAAC9k/ybOQshJXz_M/s400/Tiruvannamalai_1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<em><span style="color: #666666;">One of the older streets with the houses in stone walls and lime plaster. The informal bazaar happens against these walls.</span></em> <br />
<br />
I walked some more through the town of Tiruvannamalai. Actually, I wandered through it but it was in some ways a selective wandering. I had earlier been to the streets to the south of the Arunachaleswarar temple which was the <em>pettah</em> area or the fortified town and the old bazaar. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aJONvIomIQQ/UR5jnaj5TYI/AAAAAAAAC9w/d_VnsSbMaiA/s1600/Tiruvannamalai_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aJONvIomIQQ/UR5jnaj5TYI/AAAAAAAAC9w/d_VnsSbMaiA/s400/Tiruvannamalai_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<em><span style="color: #666666;">Was this disorganised complexity or organised complexity? </span></em><br />
<br />
I had now chosen to know more about the part of the town that was newer, that had developed only fifty to sixty years before, the part to the north of the temple precinct. Here, as in the southern part, there were streets that functioned as bazaars – shops below, residences or offices above. I started to begin my count of this walk from the Raja Gopuram or the East (main) entrance of the Arunachaleswarar temple. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n-UZzn3VDqs/UR5jv-yI8lI/AAAAAAAAC94/6-pddYBoRRU/s1600/Tiruvannamalai_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n-UZzn3VDqs/UR5jv-yI8lI/AAAAAAAAC94/6-pddYBoRRU/s400/Tiruvannamalai_3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<em><span style="color: #666666;">Still the same street but now looking westwards.This was a street parallel to the east-west axis of the temple and on its south side. </span></em><br />
<br />
These streets were newer, wider and more modern. As I walked, I saw this shop with a board that said ‘Malaysian Electronics’. There was Airtel, there were Supermarket chain stores. The north of town was clearly the modern bazaar whereas the south of town was the traditional bazaar. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LEjimVSh3AU/UR5j7coLqHI/AAAAAAAAC-A/nd-voLpuXCo/s1600/Tiruvannamalai_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LEjimVSh3AU/UR5j7coLqHI/AAAAAAAAC-A/nd-voLpuXCo/s400/Tiruvannamalai_4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #666666;"><em>As I moved closer to the rathas (car) on Car street, I was moving away from the temple in the north direction and towards the Big Street.</em></span><br />
<br />
Often in the Indian city, the development of the inner city core has been in concentric circles, with the traditional bazaar being in the inner circle and the modern bazaar streets falling within the outer circles. Here, it was growth that had been along an East-West axis – the early development being on its southern side and the later development of the town being on its northern side. It was the large expanse of the temple that had created this axis and governed the development of the town in a particular way. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pBOlzUM6Ews/UR5kEHAA6NI/AAAAAAAAC-I/pDo5aGyLogg/s1600/Tiruvannamalai_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pBOlzUM6Ews/UR5kEHAA6NI/AAAAAAAAC-I/pDo5aGyLogg/s400/Tiruvannamalai_5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<em><span style="color: #666666;">The ratha was large enough to shelter women street vendors in its shade (which was yet to come, it was still early morning)</span></em> <br />
<br />
I had walked from the Raja Gopuram onto the Car street. This was the street where the wooden <em>ratha</em> (car) was parked when it was not being taken around the temple in a ceremonial procession. Along the Car street, I had stopped by at the Deepam hotel, where they serve you filter coffee in a brass tumbler. The brass glass for the coffee. It was nice. They said it was from Kumbakonam. The Car street took me northwards to the ‘Big Street’.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qc2A_kug_3Y/UR5kQWQirGI/AAAAAAAAC-Q/i0m3d9FhNoc/s1600/Tiruvannamalai_7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qc2A_kug_3Y/UR5kQWQirGI/AAAAAAAAC-Q/i0m3d9FhNoc/s400/Tiruvannamalai_7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #666666;"><em>The part of the town that was new with its modern shops selling televisions, mobile phones and branded shoes.</em></span> <br />
<br />
This part of town was also where you could find bookshops selling Tamil religious books and music CDs and DVDs. The entire new development seemed to be an outcome of the increase in religious tourism and its primary objective was to serve the pilgrims who came to Tiruvannamalai throughout the year. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5-DTPMHNqec/UR5khkkyQeI/AAAAAAAAC-g/rWsG_0l7Bn0/s1600/Tiruvannamalai_10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5-DTPMHNqec/UR5khkkyQeI/AAAAAAAAC-g/rWsG_0l7Bn0/s400/Tiruvannamalai_10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pgd8wAQ524U/UR5kaDJ4wdI/AAAAAAAAC-Y/l-NAzN2GwhM/s1600/Tiruvannamalai_8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pgd8wAQ524U/UR5kaDJ4wdI/AAAAAAAAC-Y/l-NAzN2GwhM/s400/Tiruvannamalai_8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #666666;"><em>Walking alongside the wall of the temple on its northern side and towards the arunachala hill.</em></span><br />
<br />
I continued to walk along the Big street, which seemed to have a high density of lodges and small buildings with large sign boards that said ‘Bathrooms & Toilets’. Amongst the lodges on this street were the Aruna Lodge, the Annamalai guest house, the Swathi Sri Residency A/C and the Sri Malaimagal Lodge. The left edge of this street was the high, northern stone wall of the Arunachaleswarar temple. From this street you could also enter the temple through the Ammani Amman Gopuram or the North entrance as it was called. On the opposite side, there was the Chinnakadi street with its hardware shops. There were other small lanes that sprung out from this street selling jewellery and household goods. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q-eyOw2TYYQ/UR5koaJiRPI/AAAAAAAAC-o/Yk2_zTQe_LA/s1600/scan0002+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q-eyOw2TYYQ/UR5koaJiRPI/AAAAAAAAC-o/Yk2_zTQe_LA/s320/scan0002+copy.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
<em><span style="color: #666666;">Sketch Plan reflecting the original 1760 map by John Call</span></em><br />
<br />
In the 1760 map of Tiruvannamalai, this street had already been in existence and so also some of the smaller streets perpendicular to it The older development from that time had been replaced by new development in recent years. However, this was still the ‘old city’. For some, it had old memories. For me, the memories both in perception and thought were new. </div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-77624143498782976062013-02-03T15:16:00.000+05:302013-02-04T21:13:15.759+05:30a Street corner in Tiruvannamalai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:TargetScreenSize>800x600</o:TargetScreenSize>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><span lang="EN-US">It’s eight in the morning. I’m at a street
corner in Tiruvannamalai, at the junction where the Asaliamman Koil street
meets the Tiruvoodal street. There are trucks, bullock carts and people all
going about their morning routine. As I sit here, I wonder ‘Are there footpaths
in the town of Tiruvannamalai?’ I look around to see if there is a footpath
here. There isn’t. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ol2gdJFz3m4/UQ4w3e-U59I/AAAAAAAAC8A/IjtmBzdyO3I/s1600/Tiruvannamalai_1a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ol2gdJFz3m4/UQ4w3e-U59I/AAAAAAAAC8A/IjtmBzdyO3I/s400/Tiruvannamalai_1a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666;"><i>what I see from where i'm sitting at the junction of two streets</i></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">I’m sitting on the steps of a shop. Steps
of shops just begin or end at the edge of the road. The edge of the road belongs to walkers, to
two-wheelers that have parked themselves there, to pushcarts selling ginger and
to coconut-sellers on bicycles. The shops are just beginning to open up. Some
of the shops have a small truck or a tempo parked in front of them as goods for
the day arrive. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-54GVHgLN5WY/UQ4w9x7PeyI/AAAAAAAAC8I/JkWHnMbBJds/s1600/Tiruvannamalai_1b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-54GVHgLN5WY/UQ4w9x7PeyI/AAAAAAAAC8I/JkWHnMbBJds/s400/Tiruvannamalai_1b.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666;"><i>This is looking towards the temple and going towards Car street. Many shops aren't open yet but there's already a lot of movement on the street. </i></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">The road curves at a right angle creating a
large, triangular ‘no man’s land’ between the curve of the road and the
straight line of shops from both directions. At the corner, there is a woman
selling banana leaves, raw bananas and the banana stem. She keeps herself busy,
sprinkling water on the leaves, cutting the long leaves to make them into two.
Nearby, the woman selling flowers tells me that the market is open 24 hours.
There are wooden carts with rubber tyres drawn by bullocks that bring goods
into the market. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VyyJnvSEq2E/UQ4xDa02e9I/AAAAAAAAC8Q/OkVlxifXZJM/s1600/Tiruvannamalai_1c.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VyyJnvSEq2E/UQ4xDa02e9I/AAAAAAAAC8Q/OkVlxifXZJM/s400/Tiruvannamalai_1c.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666;"><i>Here, one can see the golden roof of the shrine to the left and the Arunachala hill beyond. The architecture is more 'contemporary vernacular' - concrete one-storeyed constructions that use a mix of elements all together - the arch, the jaliwork, the steel railing and the corrugated fibreglass roof.</i></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">There are people about and some making
conversation. I can see them, but not hear them. There are no conversations to
be heard, just the loud honking of the Tamil Nadu State Road Transport
Corporation buses. Just sometimes, when there isn’t a bus passing by and a
bullock cart goes by, you hear the bells on the bullocks that drive the goods
cart. There are two-wheelers with no silencers and autorickshaws that make
louder sounds than the two-wheelers; schoolgirls go by silently on their
bicycles. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--2C8G8G_ZCI/UQ4xKcLICDI/AAAAAAAAC8Y/PVfGscXPn4w/s1600/Tiruvannamalai_1d.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--2C8G8G_ZCI/UQ4xKcLICDI/AAAAAAAAC8Y/PVfGscXPn4w/s400/Tiruvannamalai_1d.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666;"><i>Looking towards Car street, there are flower vendors in the foreground - the biggest business at this hour of the day.</i></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">On this crowded morning, a monkey comes
onto the street as if out of nowhere, climbs up the side of a shop’s
collapsible shutter and disappears from sight. A two-wheeler stops and the
woman selling banana leaves has a customer. The two-wheeler is so convenient. You
can stop anywhere, make your purchases while you are still sitting on it and
then move on. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">This market surrounds the area around the
Arunachaleswara temple that the town is known for. And, everywhere there are
smaller temples, smaller shrines, where people come to pray. These shrines are
painted in bright colours. The one at this street corner has a golden roof. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The Palani hotel is doing good business.
The restaurant can be identified from its large, red nameboard but for most
passers-by, it’s the copper pot with steam coming out of it that tells you that
tea is available here. Another banana leaf seller sharpens his knife by rubbing
it a few times against the tar road in front of him. Two cows cross the street.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Odj6CQEoNrA/UQ4xSfJIkFI/AAAAAAAAC8g/RUkjZCMrd5s/s1600/Tiruvannamalai_2a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Odj6CQEoNrA/UQ4xSfJIkFI/AAAAAAAAC8g/RUkjZCMrd5s/s400/Tiruvannamalai_2a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666;"><i>The Lorry corner at Gopal Naicken street. </i></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">I came across other street corners in
Tiruvannamalai which seemed to have become the center of bazaar activity. For
instance, there was a corner which was the hub for lorries arriving with
wholesale goods. At this junction was an old heritage building that was the
office of the Agro Inputs Division of EID Parry (India) Ltd. This was on the
Gopal Naicken Street. There was also the Sri Venkateswara Lorry Booking office
at this corner. It was a relatively large corner junction making it possible
for 3-4 trucks to park here as they unloaded the goods. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iF0ZhsQY_IU/UQ4xX4T0-UI/AAAAAAAAC8o/t4jQwUF7Feo/s1600/Tiruvannamalai_2b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iF0ZhsQY_IU/UQ4xX4T0-UI/AAAAAAAAC8o/t4jQwUF7Feo/s400/Tiruvannamalai_2b.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666;"><i>The weighing scales occupy space on the street. It is convenient to unload and to measure what is purchased as soon as it arrives. </i></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">The street corner in Tiruvannamalai is as
informal an urban space as one can imagine. As a vendor on the street, you take
the space you find. If anyone questions you, you put up some resistance. Only
for a little while though. If the questioning goes longer, you do not give up.
You just move. To another street and another street corner. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R0r1RhalgVc/UQ4xp5L8B8I/AAAAAAAAC8w/MlU-611J1OA/s1600/Tiruvannamalai_2c.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R0r1RhalgVc/UQ4xp5L8B8I/AAAAAAAAC8w/MlU-611J1OA/s400/Tiruvannamalai_2c.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666;"><i>The shrine typical of a Lorry drivers neighbourhood. </i></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">In his essay, ‘For whom is City Design:
Tactility versus Visuality’, Ken-Ichi Sasaki mentions that Japanese architects
have two technical terms designating types of corner: ‘de-zumi’, literally
‘projecting corner’ and ‘iri-zumi’ or ‘drawn back corner’. Sasaki says that
architect Yoshinobu Ashiwara insists on the use of this ‘drawn back corner’ and
proposes planning many such spaces for the city. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D39RmOJkLVg/UQ4xvTjLL2I/AAAAAAAAC84/zsRx6J1I8Xw/s1600/Tiruvannamalai_2d.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D39RmOJkLVg/UQ4xvTjLL2I/AAAAAAAAC84/zsRx6J1I8Xw/s400/Tiruvannamalai_2d.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666;"><i>The EID Parry building that houses their Agro Inputs office in Tiruvannamalai.</i></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">In India, we seem to have already this
‘iri-zumi’ or ‘drawn back corner’. We need to only become aware of it and
choose how we will use them. For now, it is not the planners who think about
them or who use them, nor the administrators. It is the walkers and the
consumers of our informal urban spaces who transform these corners into ‘spaces
of commerce’ and much more. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Related Posts:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2010/10/street-corner-in-mumbai.html" target="_blank">a Street corner in Mumbai</a> </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2011/01/street-bazaar.html" target="_blank">a Street bazaar and the CITY </a></span></div>
</div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-39310028697178399852013-01-24T09:41:00.002+05:302013-01-30T18:41:49.852+05:30The Kolam and the Bazaar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I had been walking through the streets of Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu. I walked through street bazaars and almost every shop had in front of it a <i>Kolam</i>. It was now a week after <i>Pongal</i>. What was the relevance of the Kolam? I looked in the library for books where I’d find answers.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VN9qj8lMOTA/UQCzbXREixI/AAAAAAAAC6I/CKkTENv0cNE/s1600/Kolam_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VN9qj8lMOTA/UQCzbXREixI/AAAAAAAAC6I/CKkTENv0cNE/s400/Kolam_1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
The first book said, “It is a common thing in Hindu quarters of towns and villages that young maidens with cheerful faces are engaged every morning early after sunrise, in forming designs called Kolam in Hindu Tamil phraseology, on the floor in front of each and every one of the houses along the street”. This was in a book first published in 1925 - ‘South Indian Customs’ by P.V. Jagadisa Ayyar.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d0BWBGdyvyY/UQCzmXhcZFI/AAAAAAAAC6Q/_-LmeEChcjQ/s1600/Kolam_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d0BWBGdyvyY/UQCzmXhcZFI/AAAAAAAAC6Q/_-LmeEChcjQ/s400/Kolam_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Ayyar further explained: “Ancient Hindus used rice flour to form the designs and thus fed myriads of ants every day which would otherwise get into undesirable places in the house. Further ‘Start the business of a day with a sacrifice’ is the Hindu motto. What other better mode of sacrifice could be suggested than this”. So, was the Kolam in the Bazaar street as much in the Residential street because of this Hindu motto?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KiD-vUNiJbM/UQCzsclTXdI/AAAAAAAAC6Y/9Bj7_2GhGKM/s1600/Kolam_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KiD-vUNiJbM/UQCzsclTXdI/AAAAAAAAC6Y/9Bj7_2GhGKM/s320/Kolam_3.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
It seems that originally it was rice flour or pulverized corn that was used for making the Kolam. This was replaced by powdered limestone. In every house, the woman’s first task in the morning was to sweep the house entrance clean, sprinkle water to keep down the dust and decorate the place with Kolam.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E_OQgsLXY1Y/UQCzzRKTQBI/AAAAAAAAC6g/PVbwKl0s4Ms/s1600/Kolam_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E_OQgsLXY1Y/UQCzzRKTQBI/AAAAAAAAC6g/PVbwKl0s4Ms/s400/Kolam_4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I then began to look up what the books said about Pongal. Fred W.Clothey (1983) in ‘Rhythm and Intent’ explains that “Festivals are celebrated in every society at appropriate junctures of the year in such a way as to make these junctures meaningful. As with rituals, festivals express the polarities in cosmic and human life: there is fasting and feasting, there is ushering out of the old, the welcoming of the new”.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BJFut3gm0R4/UQCz4S1KJOI/AAAAAAAAC6o/jjKEzZ3Y7vY/s1600/Kolam_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BJFut3gm0R4/UQCz4S1KJOI/AAAAAAAAC6o/jjKEzZ3Y7vY/s400/Kolam_5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
“A festival of ecological significance marks an astronomical or seasonal event. The Pongal is such a festival celebrating the harvest and also the sun’s entrance into its ‘northern’ journey after the winter solstice. On the other hand, a theological festival is primarily designed to celebrate some event in the life of a deity or sacred being”.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NnvkGuW9QDQ/UQC0AO-zPGI/AAAAAAAAC6w/OlRycYcovfw/s1600/Kolam_6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NnvkGuW9QDQ/UQC0AO-zPGI/AAAAAAAAC6w/OlRycYcovfw/s400/Kolam_6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
There was more. Abbe J.A.Dubois (1906) in ‘Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies’ had explained the reason behind the making of the kolam: “During the inauspicious month which precedes the <i>Pongul</i>, sannyasis or mendicants, go from door to door about four o’clock in the morning, waking all sleepers by beating their gongs, warning them to take precaution against the evil influences of this unlucky period.”<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzaWR3lsx9Y/UQC0FMZDPwI/AAAAAAAAC64/vkAxhNyJako/s1600/Kolam_7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzaWR3lsx9Y/UQC0FMZDPwI/AAAAAAAAC64/vkAxhNyJako/s400/Kolam_7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
And, what I read next was really interesting. “With this purpose in view, the women of the house every morning prepare a small patch about a yard square outside the door, smearing it with cow-dung and tracing several white lines upon it with rice flour. They then place within this square several pellets of cow-dung each adorned with a pumpkin flower. These pellets are supposed to represent Vigneshwara, the god of obstacles, whom they seek to appease. Every evening, these little balls of cow-dung, together with their flowers, are carefully collected, to be kept till the last day of the month. When this day arrives, the women put these pellets into a new basket and solemnly carry them away beyond the precincts of their dwellings and throw them into a tank”.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NraHk4rDpWc/UQC0MsXPZYI/AAAAAAAAC7A/83JhYS-7mqQ/s1600/Kolam_8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NraHk4rDpWc/UQC0MsXPZYI/AAAAAAAAC7A/83JhYS-7mqQ/s400/Kolam_8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I know this blogpost is really getting long, but there’s just a bit more. “On Pongal day, women put rice to boil in milk on a fire. As soon as it begins to simmer, they all cry out together, ‘Pongul, Pongul’. They then remove the vessel from the fire and place it before the idol of Vigneshwara, to whom they offer a portion of the rice; another portion is given to the cows, and the rest is eaten by the people of the house”.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TvzMHpaxdKw/UQC0SJsb5yI/AAAAAAAAC7I/ubbqV1A7JpM/s1600/Kolam_9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TvzMHpaxdKw/UQC0SJsb5yI/AAAAAAAAC7I/ubbqV1A7JpM/s400/Kolam_9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
"On this day Hindus exchange visits. On meeting each other, the first words they say are: ‘Has the rice boiled?’ to which the answer is ‘It has boiled’. It is for this reason that the feast is called Pongul, the word being derived from Pongedi in Telugu and Pongaradu in Tamil, both signifying to boil".<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LoIer_o1JcY/UQC0W-BZpEI/AAAAAAAAC7Q/xkVGGJDlF9A/s1600/Kolam_10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LoIer_o1JcY/UQC0W-BZpEI/AAAAAAAAC7Q/xkVGGJDlF9A/s400/Kolam_10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
So, finally, I knew how it came about that Kolams were made during Pongal time. Even though sometimes we don’t know the complete story behind some of our traditions, they still continue, they are still a part of our lives, our streets. If the tradition hadn’t continued, we’d have never known!<br />
<br /></div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-90866684766023296892013-01-13T13:08:00.000+05:302013-01-17T17:02:20.220+05:30The Architecture of the Bazaar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Bazaar in India is not always a market building. One could say that the Bazaar is not always architecture. However, there have been market buildings which became the starting point in many Indian cities for an entire urban precinct which served as a marketplace.<br />
<br />
In India, many of the Market buildings were built by the British before independence. There is the K.R.market in Bangalore, the Crawford market in Mumbai, the Devaraja market in Mysore, the Connemara market in Trivandrum or the Kurupam market in Visakhapatnam. These are buildings that hold value even today since they are both architectural heritage - telling a story of the indigenous skills of the artisans and also urban heritage - holding within them signs and memories of how the city has grown. There are two earlier posts that discuss this aspect of the Bazaar: The <a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2012/07/marketplace-as-urban-heritage-devaraja.html" target="_blank">Marketplace as Urban heritage - the Devaraja market in Mysore</a> and <a href="http://www.indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2009/02/urban-structure-city-market-russell.html" target="_blank">Urban Structure - City market and Russell market</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rsdpdjDuR58/UPJjpmqkE5I/AAAAAAAAC5E/6JWz9DqCMbY/s1600/Devaraja+market,+Mysore.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rsdpdjDuR58/UPJjpmqkE5I/AAAAAAAAC5E/6JWz9DqCMbY/s400/Devaraja+market,+Mysore.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<i><span style="color: #666666;">Devaraja market in Mysore (from the inside)</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></i>
If one were to look at examples outside of India, there are some historic market buildings that are even today thriving marketplaces. I've written earlier about the <a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2012/10/grand-central-terminal-market.html" target="_blank">Grand Central Terminal market</a> in New York city, that opened to the public in February 1913, almost exactly a hundred years before and is today a place for gourmet food. The <a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2012/08/faneuil-hall-marketplace.html" target="_blank">Faneuil Hall market</a> in Boston was built in 1742 and is today a place for tourists while it still serves the local population. Both of these market buildings were constructed in response to the increase in traders bringing their produce into town and the need for a formal place for the exchange of goods. Several of the historic markets in Europe have survived and as Meena Venkataraman points out in her post on <a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2012/04/exploring-borough-market.html" target="_blank">Exploring Borough market</a>, in order to survive change, markets have had to adapt, assimilate and to evolve.<br />
<br />
In Architecture schools in India, Market architecture is not a subject or even a topic that is studied or discussed, just as vernacular domestic architecture is not studied. In the State of Andhra Pradesh alone, there are 23 districts each with its own vernacular architecture but we do not study it. It is often said that a bazaar grows organically, it cannot be designed and therefore cannot be a concern for architects. Can this be true?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
There is also the term <i>Built environment</i> which is more expansive. Built environment includes all the structures people have built when considered as separate from the natural environment. The phrase acknowledges that the majority of urban environments already exist, that a small fraction of buildings constructed annually, even in the industrialized world, are designed by architects <i>(Ref: Wikipedia)</i>. So, can a Bazaar be termed as a Built-environment, if it is not a building? The <a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2010/04/mulji-jetha-market-textile-bazaar-in.html" target="_blank">Mulji Jetha market</a> in Mumbai is an unusual bazaar, it can be termed either a 'building' or a 'built-environment'. If one looks at the plan of the bazaar, one finds that it occupies several streets within the dense south mumbai urban fabric and yet it is a roofed bazaar.<br />
<br />
According to the <i>Encyclopedia Britannica</i> (2008), the Bazaar was originally a public market district of a Persian town. From Persia, the term spread to Arabia, Turkey and North Africa. In Turkish, it was the Pazar. In India, it came to be applied to a single shop, and currently implies a street lined with shops or a fair at which a variety of goods are sold. In an Arab city, a commercial quarter was termed as the <i>Souq</i> . Historically, Souqs were held outside of cities in the location where a caravan loaded with goods would stop and merchants would display their goods for sale. Later, due to the importance of the marketplace and the growth of cities, the locations of souqs shifted to urban centers <i>(Ref: Wikipedia)</i>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WYXm6aWKMKE/UPJj0rGF2HI/AAAAAAAAC5M/FClU4IALURY/s1600/KR+market,+Bangalore.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WYXm6aWKMKE/UPJj0rGF2HI/AAAAAAAAC5M/FClU4IALURY/s400/KR+market,+Bangalore.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<i><span style="color: #666666;">Krishna Raja (K.R.) market in Bangalore</span></i><br />
<br />
A Bazaar is often an organically developed series of shops that eventually become an urban space that is termed as the Bazaar. The planning of this space does not take place formally in the offices of the City Planning departments in India. According to the National Association of Street Vendors in India (NASVI), vendors of fruits and vegetables have never been allocated space in the city in a pre-planned manner.<br />
<br />
However, the morning market or the weekly markets have always existed in India, in South Asia and in the Middle Eastern countries. Today, there is a threat to the Periodic bazaar as land prices in the inner city escalate making both the traditional street bazaar and the historic market building of less economical value though their cultural and social value remain the same. In their paper <i>Rendering Istanbul's Periodic Bazaars Invisible: Reflections on Urban Transformation and Contested Space</i>, Ozlem Oz and Mine Eder explain that there have been repeated cases where the municipality has persuaded a resident to file a lawsuit against the people of the bazaar on grounds of noise and pollution to facilitate its relocation, so that land can be made available to a developer for constructing a mall or to be rented out as a car park.<br />
<br />
In India, markets are initially neglected by the Municipalities who own these buildings and when they became dilapidated structures, it is suggested by the government that the vendors be relocated so that the building can be demolished in order to be replaced by a mall. There is an ongoing conflict between the Vendors and the Government in Bangalore which I discuss in <a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2012/03/riddle-of-russell-market.html" target="_blank">The Riddle of Russell market</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WnXL78PTlJk/UPJj_2Xck_I/AAAAAAAAC5U/-ebI0fYdeSM/s1600/Kurupam+market,+Visakhapatnam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WnXL78PTlJk/UPJj_2Xck_I/AAAAAAAAC5U/-ebI0fYdeSM/s320/Kurupam+market,+Visakhapatnam.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<i><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></i><br />
We need to ask ourselves the question: Why were these markets built? At what time in the city's history did they come in? What is changing now? Are these markets redundant for the new times we are living in?<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #666666;">Kurupam market in Visakhapatnam</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></i>
According to <a href="http://www.intachvizag.org/intachprojects/index.html" target="_blank">INTACH vizag</a>, the Kurupam market was built so that the revenue generated from the shops leased to merchants could be used to provide medical facilities to the poor of the city. The Russell market building was built in 1927 when the Municipal Commissioner T.B.Russell initiated its construction when he found that the existing informal market in the Cantonment area was insufficient for the growing needs of this neighbourhood. In Bombay, the Crawford market was built as a wholesale market for fruits and vegetables in 1869. It was designed by the British architect William Emerson. In 1996, the wholesale traders were relocated to Navi Mumbai when it was decided that this change would reduce the traffic congestion particularly with the goods entering the city by road through its north end and having to traverse the length of the linear city to reach Crawford market at its south end.<br />
<br />
In both the Russell market and the Crawford market, the British seemed to have recognised the functional need of an Indian marketplace and planned large open spaces within the layout of the market building, where merchants could unload their goods, sort them out and display them for their customers, where the open space behind the ornate façade allowed a flexibility of operations similar to a Street bazaar or a Market square. If we were to generate an architectural typology for the Indian bazaar, this aspect of the colonial market buildings in India would be one of the key lessons to learn from.<br />
<br />
Besides, we would need to observe closely the hundreds and thousands of street bazaars in our towns and cities to know how a market works and how it looks, because we have no repetition in our bazaar layouts, each one has its own character and its own order. What designer would not find that challenging enough to study?</div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-81434960873923970722012-12-29T11:50:00.000+05:302012-12-31T09:29:46.341+05:30Policing the Urban Space<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In a City, some Urban spaces are always safe, others are not. Sometimes, the urban space becomes a temporal marketplace and the city administrators have to judge whether it will be a safe place for the public or if things may go "out of control". If they anticipate unsafe conditions, they ensure that the Police will be present there when they are needed. However, the police exercise control in different ways and the urban spaces extend from being '<i>spaces as containers</i>' to being '<i>spaces of power</i>' *. I look at one such urban space in Bangalore - the Bull temple road which is pedestrianised for two days for a cultural festival around the Bull temple at Basavanagudi.<br />
<br />
The Groundnut Fair (<i>Kadlekai Parishe</i>) that took place this year on December 10th and 11th had all the familiar elements – the Groundnuts, the Vendors, the Public and the Police. We had interviewed a few Police officers on duty during the Parishe and I reproduce here excerpts from the interview:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E5JTUxzGHes/UN5xirFWZEI/AAAAAAAAC3E/k81EmnQZtzY/s1600/Kadlekai+Parishe_2012_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E5JTUxzGHes/UN5xirFWZEI/AAAAAAAAC3E/k81EmnQZtzY/s400/Kadlekai+Parishe_2012_1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>How many people from the Police department are present here during the two-day Parishe?</b><br />
Approximately 200-300 police officers. Some of the officers are here in uniform and others are in <i>mufti </i>(plain clothes).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N3MBGMymwsk/UN6CKFxdMHI/AAAAAAAAC3w/a-pZr2c1Hd0/s1600/Kadlekai+Parishe_2012_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N3MBGMymwsk/UN6CKFxdMHI/AAAAAAAAC3w/a-pZr2c1Hd0/s400/Kadlekai+Parishe_2012_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>What are the duties of the Police officers during the Kadlekai Parishe?</b><br />
There is a lot of crowd during the fair which means many crimes can occur without anyone’s notice. Petty crimes like chain snatching can occur without the victim’s knowledge. Sometimes, vehicles get stolen. We need to keep a check on the crowds coming in and out of the temple and also make it easier for them to move about in the Fair. In case of fire emergencies, we need to make arrangements to have it extinguished, get the fire department to respond immediately and so on. In case someone gets hurt we need to make sure they are taken to the hospital quickly and safely.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L-0p2UhpF7s/UN6CRtI99sI/AAAAAAAAC34/JTkfTCEOU20/s1600/Kadlekai+Parishe_2012_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L-0p2UhpF7s/UN6CRtI99sI/AAAAAAAAC34/JTkfTCEOU20/s400/Kadlekai+Parishe_2012_3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>What are the arrangements made by your department for the Kadalekai Parishe?</b><br />
At some places, barricades need to be put so that there is no vehicle interference with the pedestrians. We depute more officers on those roads where there are likely to be more people entering the Bull temple road. Basically, we try to minimise crime problems and traffic congestion.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4fjPa9RwxK8/UN6CYvv5SxI/AAAAAAAAC4A/EWjbygp2kKc/s1600/Kadlekai+Parishe_2012_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4fjPa9RwxK8/UN6CYvv5SxI/AAAAAAAAC4A/EWjbygp2kKc/s400/Kadlekai+Parishe_2012_4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>Which police stations in the city are involved?</b><br />
The South division of the Police department has three sub-divisions. There is the Jayanagar sub-division, the Chamrajpet sub-divison and the Banashankari sub-division. Each of these sub-divisions has seven stations under it. There are officers from about 21 stations here for the two days.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gG6veZYXw_o/UN6Cf3ucHBI/AAAAAAAAC4I/_Q5qn_PU-fI/s1600/Kadlekai+Parishe_2012_7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gG6veZYXw_o/UN6Cf3ucHBI/AAAAAAAAC4I/_Q5qn_PU-fI/s400/Kadlekai+Parishe_2012_7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>How is the work distributed to the officers?</b><br />
There are both the <i>Traffic</i> police and the <i>Law and Order </i>police. The Traffic police supervise the Bull temple road and ensure that it is a pedestrian zone for these two days, not permitting vehicular traffic to enter from any of the connecting roads or from either ends of Bull temple road. The Law and Order police look after the internal movement of people within the Fair and their safety, between these two ends.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cJDhSCxBXB8/UN6CnlXRktI/AAAAAAAAC4Q/fbONzwNk8dg/s1600/Kadlekai+Parishe_2012_8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cJDhSCxBXB8/UN6CnlXRktI/AAAAAAAAC4Q/fbONzwNk8dg/s400/Kadlekai+Parishe_2012_8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>How are the zones demarcated for supervision? </b><br />
You will notice the row of barricades near the restaurant <i>Halli thindi </i>and another near Ramakrishna ashram. There are such barricades provided all along the Bull Temple road to demarcate the zones for supervision. For instance, to mark Hanumanthnagar police limits, there is a line of barricades and then from the next barricade another police station takes over the responsibility.<br />
<br />
There are several police in uniform (although there are plainclothes policemen too) to signal to the public that they can spend their time at the Fair within a safe environment and to simultaneously signal to the unsocial elements that any crime or wrong act will be caught immediately. In these 'spaces of power', on the one hand, the city <i>empowers</i> the public and the vendors who work within the law and on the other it <i>controls</i> the users of the space who may have the tendency to break the law to do only that which society finds acceptable.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">* Koskela, Hille. "‘The gaze without eyes’: video-surveillance and the changing nature of urban space." Progress in Human Geography 24.2 (2000): 243-265.</span><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>(Interviewer: Rakshitha K.S.)</i><br />
<br />
Related Posts:<br />
<a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2010/12/groundnut-fair-at-basavanagudi.html" target="_blank">Groundnut Fair in Bangalore city</a><br />
<a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2011/11/peanut-festival-in-bangalore.html" target="_blank">Peanut festival in Bangalore</a><br />
<a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2012/12/groundnut-fair-and-temple-priest.html" target="_blank">Groundnut Fair and the Temple Priest</a></div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-57137268036333627562012-12-13T21:21:00.000+05:302012-12-13T21:28:41.437+05:30 Groundnut Fair and the Temple Priest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Groundnut Fair is both a religious and a cultural festival that takes place every year on the Bull temple road in Bangalore and brings groundnut growers and traders from several villages in Karnataka to the city. We started to interview the Groundnut vendors, the Residents of Basavanagudi, the Traffic police and others to understand more about the Fair. I reproduce here a short interview with the Head Priest of the Bull Temple.<br />
<br />
<b>When was the Bull temple built?</b><br />
The temple was built around 1537 A.D. It is said to be built by Kempegowda during his rule.<br />
<br />
<b>Why was this temple built, why here in Basavanagudi?</b><br />
The idol of the <i>Nandi</i> (Bull) in this temple is said to have been that of “udbhava”. They say that the idol was always there, Kempegowda just built the temple. There is another legend that says Lord Nandi appeared in Kempegowda’s dreams and asked him to build a temple in his worship. The idol is 12 ft high, 20 ft in length. It is the second largest <i>Nandi</i> idol in south of India, the first being in Lepakshi, in Andhra Pradesh.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KX87EMjoOF8/UMn3-vUnzxI/AAAAAAAAC1o/eI6Fcr2tlkU/s1600/IMG_3842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KX87EMjoOF8/UMn3-vUnzxI/AAAAAAAAC1o/eI6Fcr2tlkU/s400/IMG_3842.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>What about the legend of River Vrishabhavathi flowing under the idol?</b><br />
If one looks closely at the idol, one can see that the right leg of lord Nandi rests on a veena (the musical instrument). The veena rests on a lotus flower. We know that the lotus flower grows only in water. This water is said to be the water from Vrishabhavathi river. It is said to rise from below the idol. I haven’t been a witness to it, neither has my father or grandfather who’ve been around for around 80 years now .<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ev_vOxkSoj0/UMn4PMqow7I/AAAAAAAAC1w/mcsvrP4b_CA/s1600/IMG_3939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ev_vOxkSoj0/UMn4PMqow7I/AAAAAAAAC1w/mcsvrP4b_CA/s400/IMG_3939.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>How did the Ganesha temple come to be? Was it a part of the Nandi temple?</b><br />
The usual custom is that before starting anything good like say entering a new house, there is usually a ganesha idol placed and worshipped for success and prosperity. Similarly with this temple. Before the Bull temple was built there was probably a Ganesha temple built .<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R0WVX46U0g0/UMn4XVyHjrI/AAAAAAAAC14/JqYqqCAzEjU/s1600/IMG_3670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R0WVX46U0g0/UMn4XVyHjrI/AAAAAAAAC14/JqYqqCAzEjU/s400/IMG_3670.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>What are the special events at the temple during the Kadlekai Parishe?</b><br />
Early in the morning there is the <i>Panchamrutha abhisheka</i>. Also, a <i>Rudrabhisheka</i> which involves abhisheka with milk. The nandi idol is totally covered with flowers. On the Monday that the Parishe begins on, in the evening there is “Nandi kolu”. At 11 pm, there is the <i>Mahamangalarthi</i>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4RgexPIoTBE/UMn4eKpwd_I/AAAAAAAAC2A/9XVeR4aiHe8/s1600/IMG_3908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4RgexPIoTBE/UMn4eKpwd_I/AAAAAAAAC2A/9XVeR4aiHe8/s400/IMG_3908.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>What is the temple’s involvement in the Parishe?</b><br />
The temple allocates the space for the vendors outside the temple entrance and along the Bull temple road. The contract for collecting the rent for the space is given out as a tender. The MUZRAI department (Department of Religious Endowment) plays a major role in organising the Parishe. They send us extra staff to handle the parishe.<br />
<br />
The support required from various fields is taken into account by the chief executive officer. He writes out letters to different departments which includes the Police force, the Municipal corporation, Ambulance and medicine, Generator and Emergency power supply etc. They all co-operate and work together. The local politicians direct the police force to co-ordinate the event. The Municipal authority (BBMP) plays its role in cleaning of the streets during and after the Fair. Because there is a large crowd visiting the temple during the parishe, we need to add more priests to help maintain the place. Usually I call upon people I know and some from within my family too.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c6_NU2tlBc8/UMn5CWSWCsI/AAAAAAAAC2I/cnxQSP6bk7Y/s1600/IMG_3898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c6_NU2tlBc8/UMn5CWSWCsI/AAAAAAAAC2I/cnxQSP6bk7Y/s400/IMG_3898.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>What about the revenue for the temple from the Parishe? What do the vendors pay?</b><br />
The vendors need to pay some 200-300 rupees per day to the appointed person who has been awarded the tender. The temple gets around 10-15,000 rupees from it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NK4feGTqrP0/UMn5Jg2YPPI/AAAAAAAAC2Q/oVNFEDKtGuc/s1600/IMG_3938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NK4feGTqrP0/UMn5Jg2YPPI/AAAAAAAAC2Q/oVNFEDKtGuc/s400/IMG_3938.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>Do vendors like the coconut seller or the one who manages the shoe stand within the temple premises need to pay a rent for the space?</b><br />
Yes, it’s more of a yearly contract though. This space is also auctioned and the highest bidder gets it. The shoe or chappal stand itself generates an income of about Rs.2,00,000/- per year.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UpWL1idFs_w/UMn5Q6haB_I/AAAAAAAAC2Y/hR1Ap2Pxgu4/s1600/IMG_3879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UpWL1idFs_w/UMn5Q6haB_I/AAAAAAAAC2Y/hR1Ap2Pxgu4/s400/IMG_3879.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>What are the other roles that the MUZRAI department plays in supporting the temple?</b><br />
Mainly, all the funds that the temple collects during the Parishe goes to a dedicated account of the temple with the MUZRAI department. They take care of everything from cleaning, maintenance, making new spaces, repairing old structures, granting salaries to the temple employees etc. The Priests and the maintenance staff at the temple are paid their salaries by the MUZRAI department. If say, a temple’s funds are insufficient for it’s own upkeep, then the Muzrai department can actually reach out to another temple’s funds and fund this temple. If any repairs to the old temple structure or new spaces need to be planned, the MUZRAI department works with the Archaeological survey of India to prepare the necessary plans and execute the work .<br />
<br />
<i>Interviewer: Rakshitha K.S.</i><br />
<br />
Related Posts:<br />
<a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2010/12/groundnut-fair-at-basavanagudi.html" target="_blank">Groundnut Fair in Bangalore city</a><br />
<a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2011/11/peanut-festival-in-bangalore.html" target="_blank">Peanut festival in Bangalore</a><br />
<a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2010/12/faces-in-bazaar.html" target="_blank">Faces in the Bazaar</a><br />
<a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2012/11/srinivasa-coffee-works.html" target="_blank">Srinivasa Coffee works</a></div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-12040964849060594492012-12-07T06:19:00.000+05:302012-12-09T06:12:50.810+05:30Udupi Sri Krishna Bhavan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I had been walking in Chickpete for some time now. It was nearing lunch time and I had unknowingly started to read the nameboards at just above the normal line of vision, looking for a place to eat. It had to be the usual – reasonably clean but with old-world charm. That’s what one looked for in a bazaar precinct.<br />
<br />
I wasn’t going to eat in a spotlessly clean, new type restaurant. Saw a ‘Gokul Lodge’. It seemed old alright, but old AND neglected. It was dark in there and not so clean-looking. I thought I wasn’t going to find my place today. Anyways, I kept walking. The purpose was just that, to walk the chickpete area of old Bangalore with its large expanse of market activity – an area originating from the time the city began, being one of the two main nuclei in Bangalore, the other one being the Cantonment area.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-veXztX67Bc4/UME83rs31rI/AAAAAAAAC08/XAIYLW0o2t0/s1600/IMG_5864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-veXztX67Bc4/UME83rs31rI/AAAAAAAAC08/XAIYLW0o2t0/s400/IMG_5864.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
As I walked further, I saw this board <i>Udupi Sri Krishna Bhavan</i>. The name was familiar of course. There was one at Malleswaram, another of the old Bangalore localities, a restaurant we had often frequented. It had the nicest <i>neer</i> dosa (with coconut milk). This had to be the same. It would be good.<br />
<br />
Going into the restaurant, I found that here time had moved so much slower than on the street just outside it or on the many streets amidst which it was nestled. The place was quiet, not so many people about. I was early for lunch perhaps. I picked a table so I could see the restaurant and its entrance the way I felt like, with plenty of space in front of me, a bit of the light from the street coming in and the lights inside just enough so as to not drown out the natural light.<br />
<br />
I ordered the food and waited, as I looked around me. It was better than I had expected. It actually had rosewood tables and chairs. The table top had been changed to a smooth, black granite top and the chair seats had a white, worn-out laminate, where probably canework had once been.<br />
<br />
In front of me, I saw a brass nameplate that said ‘Special room’. This was the typical <i>Family room</i> that restaurants of old had always had. It had a five foot high wooden partition, partly glass. You had your privacy and yet were not too separated from the others. The flooring was the old checkerboard pattern – black and white marble squares. It had been a while since I last saw that. The washbasins located on a side wall of this large hall space had mirrors with teakwood frames.<br />
<br />
The ceilings were high and supported by I-beams and I-sections. Just above the serving counter, where the menu was written in large bold letters were large photo-frames. There was one set of pictures of deities – the Raja Ravi Varma prints and another set a little away, of the founders of the hotel, these in black and white.<br />
<br />
It had been a discovery, this Udupi Sri Krishna Bhavan. There weren’t so many in the city anymore. It was like going into a time machine. After I had eaten my dosa and had my coffee, I got up to leave, knowing that I could come back into this art deco time machine anytime I wanted to and they even served you the finest filter coffee, as you traced the city back in time!</div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-87900125558410768092012-11-22T17:01:00.002+05:302012-11-22T17:06:14.194+05:30Srinivasa Coffee works<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>This is an interview with the owner of Srinivasa Coffee works on D.V.G.road in Basavanagudi, Bangalore. I reproduce here the story of Gandhi Bazaar as told by him:</i><br />
<br />
"Gandhi Bazaar was created 50 years back. I have been here since the beginning. I grew up in the coffee plantations. I knew everything about coffee, so decided to start this business here. We were six brothers and all of us were in this business. I have had this shop selling coffee for 50 years. Our coffee also goes abroad, America, Muscat, Dubai, Singapore, Bombay, Delhi. Our coffee has also gone to Commonwealth games.<br />
<br />
There are fewer and fewer of the older generation now. The business is also less. Many people have moved out. Things have changed so much. Good quality of coffee and condiments is not available any more. Previously, D.V.G. road was called Nagassandra road. Earlier, there were only ten shops. Now, it is completely filled with shops and houses.<br />
<br />
Every year it is improving more. Also, the <i>Kadlekai Parishe</i> (Groundnut Fair) previously it was only one day or two days, now it is come to four days and Ministers come. All children’s toys are also available now. Previously, village people came. It was a mela. You get things to eat, you get balloons, everything. It begins in the morning and goes on until midnight. It is so congested. Police cannot control anything. In the old days, there would be only 100-200 people at the Parishe. There was a piece of land near the Bull temple (the Basavana devasthanam) where groundnut was grown in the old days. The Kadlekai Parishe happens on the last Monday of Karthika month.<br />
<br />
I live in Basavanagudi, near the Bull temple. Now, outsiders have come to live here – Bombay people, Calcutta, Delhi. From everywhere, the people are here, from every State. There are moneylenders, silver business, gold business, cloth business, readymade textiles and so on. There are many from the Jain community. There is a Jain temple and a Jain college here. There are many Mangaloreans here too. The population has increased so much. Some of the <i>Mathas</i> have properties here. They have constructed choultries and they give rooms for rent. Earlier, the Basavanagudi community was only Brahmin community. In Malleswaram, there were only Iyengars.<br />
<br />
Everything has become so expensive now, tiffin is more costly, hotel is more costly. When I first started my business, in 1960, I used to pay sixty rupees as rent on D.V.G.road. Now, you have to pay Rs.5,000 or 10,000 to rent a shop here. Earlier, house rents were Rs.20, Rs.30 to Rs.100. According to food rates, all rates have increased. It is become second U.S. here. You can export anything, our flowers are exported, our tulsi is exported. Everything is possible now. It has become a world market."<br />
<br />
<i>It was an absolutely special afternoon listening to this story in the midst of people coming in to buy their filter coffee, in the midst of coffee being freshly ground and feel most grateful for having this opportunity to know how life was in Gandhi Bazaar at the very beginning. </i></div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-22407363462364743892012-11-12T21:04:00.000+05:302012-11-12T21:05:35.960+05:30Bazaar - a layering in time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In a Bazaar, there is a layering of people and of goods. There is also another kind of layering – of spatial configurations that are random in their making and that metamorphose into a different complexity from one day to the next.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2raJzKQP1F0/UKEV-ArOsWI/AAAAAAAAC0E/ZP3VahoeFjU/s1600/Bazaar_Layering_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2raJzKQP1F0/UKEV-ArOsWI/AAAAAAAAC0E/ZP3VahoeFjU/s320/Bazaar_Layering_1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
The vendor is part of a layering process that has on one hand, spatial elements – those that create his own territory and those that circumvent his territory. On the other hand, there are the changing displays that can be seen as part of one layer or as belonging to more than one layer. The vendor participates in a simultaneous layering of spaces and displays.<br />
<br />
There is an organic development within the bazaar where layers may take the form of a shop, a shop extension, a pedestrian accessway, storage of goods, the selling space of the street vendor and the signage that belongs to the street.<br />
<br />
One could define a layer in the bazaar to be an outcome of function – walking space, display space, storage space, advertising space, selling space or interaction space. These are layers that do not have a clear demarcation between them. The walking space weaves sometimes in and out of the selling space. The layers are individually and collectively occupied by different user groups at different times. The layers are formed, they interchange sometimes – that which was selling space is returned to the public domain and becomes a walking space and somewhere else, a walking space enters the private domain as it becomes a selling space.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bM5i8fKC8j4/UKEWHtrblQI/AAAAAAAAC0M/29wCrc-bg-Q/s1600/Bazaar_Layering_8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bM5i8fKC8j4/UKEWHtrblQI/AAAAAAAAC0M/29wCrc-bg-Q/s400/Bazaar_Layering_8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
The image shown here is the main entrance of the Kapaleeswarar Temple at Mylapore in Chennai. This is a centuries old temple that is today surrounded on four sides by streets lined with formal shops and informal street vendors. If one is standing in front of the east entrance gate, a layering is perceived where in the foreground is the flower-seller, in the middle ground is a mobile tailor with his sewing machine. The third layer is a sign board that announces the dance recital scheduled to take place within the temple that evening; the fourth layer is the stone wall of the temple and the background layer is the temple space itself.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-73D3EgLBJ0U/UKEWOzk6skI/AAAAAAAAC0U/HQZCgVNVTZg/s1600/Bazaar_Layering_9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-73D3EgLBJ0U/UKEWOzk6skI/AAAAAAAAC0U/HQZCgVNVTZg/s400/Bazaar_Layering_9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Opposite the main entrance of the temple at Mylapore is this street lined with houses and shops. It is also the street where the Temple Car (Ratha) is kept through the year. A part of this ratha is seen here as it becomes a place of seating for autorickshaw-drivers, balloon sellers and temple priests. In this image, the two-wheeler parking becomes the foreground layer; the ratha and the people make the second layer; the vehicular access forms the third layer and the residential facades and shopfronts become the fourth layer. It is of course our perception of this urban space that generates the idea of a multi-layered collage.<br />
<br />
In a bazaar, every vendor makes his choice about where to locate himself and how to display his goods and it is these choices that add to or subtract from a layer. The vendors adapt and simplify and bring about an urban experience that is an unconcious design effort - a spatial layering that ebbs and flows with time. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-74989817988589411872012-10-27T19:39:00.000+05:302012-10-27T19:41:28.336+05:30a Morning market<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In the early hours of the morning, the flower vendors at K.R.market completely fill the public spaces of the inner city in Bangalore. It is a loose space that shapes itself as vendors and customers manoeuvre through it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G8q275PtA-8/UIvqL_pnvhI/AAAAAAAACy8/g8vAU3QfhjY/s1600/Flower+market_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G8q275PtA-8/UIvqL_pnvhI/AAAAAAAACy8/g8vAU3QfhjY/s400/Flower+market_1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I am walking here on Dasera day. However, the vendors sell flowers here everyday. These are small traders who belong to the informal sector of the city. Their occupation of spaces on the streets is considered not legal. But, they continue to sell and the customers continue to buy. It is a symbiotic relationship of the informal economy with the citizens and the city.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tJ2bPeYiGHQ/UIvqRB_TjjI/AAAAAAAACzE/6Lu8y77cZpE/s1600/Flower+market_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tJ2bPeYiGHQ/UIvqRB_TjjI/AAAAAAAACzE/6Lu8y77cZpE/s400/Flower+market_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
No one asks questions about why people make a living by selling flowers on these streets as long as the selling happens before the city’s vehicular traffic begins to enter this same space.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y2SHVNA4F98/UIvqXeKEJ2I/AAAAAAAACzM/xJXt6P53Fj0/s1600/Flower+market_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y2SHVNA4F98/UIvqXeKEJ2I/AAAAAAAACzM/xJXt6P53Fj0/s400/Flower+market_4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
As it nears 8am the numbers of cars, buses, autorickshaws and two-wheelers increases and the vendors are gradually edged out. The flower market then thinks of ending its transactions for the day. Here, at K.R.market as in other flower markets elsewhere in India, what is almost legal before 8am becomes “illegal” after eight.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7fddqJzQMn0/UIvqfIXHyhI/AAAAAAAACzU/0S2m-G_hxkQ/s1600/Flower+market_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7fddqJzQMn0/UIvqfIXHyhI/AAAAAAAACzU/0S2m-G_hxkQ/s400/Flower+market_5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
The traffic police begin their duties for the day and a line must be drawn, understood either visibly or verbally to know that the time for vending is now over. Some vendors leave before the police reaches there. Others leave after the police arrive and drive them away.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-42Yc2fvV0Zs/UIvqlT5qCjI/AAAAAAAACzc/jRtJZVauk6s/s1600/Flower+market_6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-42Yc2fvV0Zs/UIvqlT5qCjI/AAAAAAAACzc/jRtJZVauk6s/s400/Flower+market_6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
It is a daily act of vigilance. Every day, the morning market borrows urban space and then gives it back again. It is a way the city works.<br />
<br /></div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-22968869293507035002012-10-01T16:36:00.000+05:302012-10-08T09:34:26.080+05:30Grand Central Terminal market<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There are times when you have thoughts that run through your mind one after another from a different place and a different time – thoughts of walking through a market in a New York train station, of a story called ‘Hugo’ unfolding inside a Paris railway station and of memories emanating from the Victoria Terminus in Mumbai.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NhKkR5-LL_w/UGltysj0aOI/AAAAAAAACxc/5dLBEOnObJc/s1600/Grand+Central+Terminal+market_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NhKkR5-LL_w/UGltysj0aOI/AAAAAAAACxc/5dLBEOnObJc/s400/Grand+Central+Terminal+market_1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
You look at these thoughts as they pass by like you were looking at a roll of film unfold before you. These are negatives that are placed side by side in your mind but are geographically located in different continents. Something binds them – they all hold within them histories of the railroad and of the time when the making of a “place” came about from detailing a ceiling, a grand clock or a monumental turret in a way that generations later, we still wonder about how time could stand still then as it never does now to make such inspiring work possible. <br />
<br />
The experience of the Grand Central Terminal in New York city and the market within it are heightened in my mind with the imagery of Martin Scorcese’s 2011 film ‘Hugo’ particularly the opening scenes of the little boy looking through the hands of the station clock and the story’s simultaneous perception of ingenuity in the making of clocks and in the making of films with the railroad station as its backdrop.<br />
.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n3pLfo7BBu4/UGlxzj78-AI/AAAAAAAACx0/moi17SeVqJk/s1600/Grand+Central+Terminal+market_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n3pLfo7BBu4/UGlxzj78-AI/AAAAAAAACx0/moi17SeVqJk/s400/Grand+Central+Terminal+market_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I really liked the way Tony Hiss describes the Grand Central Terminal in his book <i>The Experience of Place</i> - “The main concourse of Grand Central – an enormous room, with 14 entrances – is only one part of an intricate structure that was opened to the public in February of 1913 and is justly famous as a crossroads, a noble building, an essential part of midtown Manhattan, and an ingenious piece of engineering that can handle large numbers of trains, cars and people at once. It was designed to handle huge crowds and to impress people with the immensity and the dignity of enclosed public places in a modern city. From the accounts left by its builders however, it was not designed to provide the experience actually available there today. That experience is one of the unplanned treasures of New York.” There is more about its history and its design <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Central_Terminal" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wpfGFa9A_do/UGl0sADmQ1I/AAAAAAAACyc/s906dceFZBA/s1600/Grand+Central+Terminal+market_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wpfGFa9A_do/UGl0sADmQ1I/AAAAAAAACyc/s906dceFZBA/s400/Grand+Central+Terminal+market_4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
The market at Grand Central Terminal is where you go to for gourmet food – for artisanal cheese and bread, for speciality coffee beans, for hard-to-get spices, for fresh fish and for gourmet chocolates. You can read <a href="http://www.thecitycook.com/cooking/articles/general/000167" target="_blank">here</a> an interesting description of the food merchants, including Zaro’s, Murray’s cheese and Penzeys spices, amongst many others. The market is located on the east side of Grand Central. It can be entered either from inside the Grand Central or from the entrance at Lexington avenue at East 43rd street. I entered the market from inside the Grand Central and after the overwhelming experience of the railroad station, when you walk through the market and come onto Lexington avenue, it seems as if it's one entrance connects you to the city's past and its other entrance to the city's future.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jD_HEUvKues/UGl0jnfwalI/AAAAAAAACyU/j6UI6ZKBPew/s1600/Grand+Central+Terminal+market_6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jD_HEUvKues/UGl0jnfwalI/AAAAAAAACyU/j6UI6ZKBPew/s400/Grand+Central+Terminal+market_6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
The Grand Central market came into being when a revitalisation plan was commissioned for the Grand Central Terminal in 1990. A $425 million master plan was presented at a public hearing and subsequently adopted in concept by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The retail specialists Williams Jackson Ewing had been asked to prepare a master retail plan to address services and amenities and the “new” Grand Central was reopened in 1998.<br />
<br />
As I think about the Grand Central Terminal and its market, I recollect the days in Mumbai from twenty years ago when we travelled by the local trains starting and ending at the Victoria Terminus in Mumbai. It is a building designed by the British architect F.W.Stevens and built over ten years starting in 1878. It is an example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture blended with elements from traditional Indian architecture. It became a symbol for Mumbai as a mercantile port city within the British Commonwealth. The building was originally intended to house the railway station and the offices of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. A number of ancillary buildings were added later, but it never had a market planned within it. The original building is still in use for suburban traffic and is used by over 3 million commuters daily. (Source: <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/945" target="_blank">UNESCO World Heritage list </a>)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CCSJCRTYNKg/UGl033LBeYI/AAAAAAAACyk/qiEWh4We_jE/s1600/Crawford+market+in+Mumbai.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CCSJCRTYNKg/UGl033LBeYI/AAAAAAAACyk/qiEWh4We_jE/s400/Crawford+market+in+Mumbai.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<i>Crawford market in Mumbai</i><br />
<br />
The Victoria Terminus could have had a market section within it similar to the Grand Central Terminal market and it may have been successful with its floating population being extremely high. However, the Crawford market, just north of the Victoria Terminus had been completed in 1869. It is another magnificent structure of Mumbai with a built-up area of 6,000 sq.ft. It was designed by the British architect William Emerson and is a blend of Norman and Flemish architectural styles. It has been primarily a fruit, vegetable and poultry market with the merchants also selling imported food and cosmetics.<br />
<br />
In Mumbai, the experiences of the Crawford market, the Victoria Terminus and the Flora Fountain, built in 1864 are woven together. The Hornby road (now named D.N.Road) linked the Crawford market to the Flora Fountain with several Neo-classical and Gothic Revival buildings built on commercial plots along the broad avenue road. Over the years, the market building had grown into an urban precinct with intersecting streets of formal and informal vendors selling textiles, stationery and household goods. This is an experience different from that of the Grand Central Terminal Market, where it is one street lined with shops on its either side and yet both the Grand Central Market and the Crawford market are part of the histories of railroad stations – one, in New York city and the other in Mumbai.<br />
<br />
Related Post:<br />
<a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2011/04/marketplace-lonely-planet-blog-carnival.html" target="_blank">The Marketplace: Lonely Planet Blog Carnival</a><br />
<a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2012/08/faneuil-hall-marketplace.html" target="_blank">Faneuil hall marketplace</a><br />
<a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2012/04/marketplaces-of-world-listing.html" target="_blank">Marketplaces of the world: a Listing</a><br />
<a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2010/10/street-corner-in-mumbai.html" target="_blank">Street corner in Mumbai</a></div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-22523386365574570432012-09-15T21:01:00.000+05:302012-09-17T13:17:07.367+05:30Gimme Coffee <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
We had not heard about <i>Gimme coffee</i> until a friend introduced us to it a month ago. With every cup of gimme coffee we learnt more about it. We heard more, we read more. We realized that it was not just a cup of coffee, it was not just a cafeteria, it was the whole new culture that we were getting absorbed into. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0ATZV3ESHFM/UFSemEigU0I/AAAAAAAACwk/2Tz2hGaS7rA/s1600/Gimme+coffee_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0ATZV3ESHFM/UFSemEigU0I/AAAAAAAACwk/2Tz2hGaS7rA/s400/Gimme+coffee_1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Here’s what it is. Gimme coffee is the neighbourhood coffee place. The first Gimme coffee shop opened at Cayuga Street in Ithaca, Upstate New York in the year 2000. Thereafter, more outlets opened in Ithaca and at Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York city. Soon, this small artisan roastery became a known name as it began to feature in the news. The GQ magazine said: “This is serious stuff, seriously good”. The Forbes Traveller wrote: “Yes, there’s life beyond Starbucks” <br />
<br />
So, what made Gimme coffee so good? It’s the roasting, they said. I’m sharing here a link to <a href="http://www.gimmecoffee.com/static/community_roastery.aspx" target="_blank">Gimme Roastery</a> on their website which is an absolute must-read! With this kind of attention being poured into a cup of coffee, it had to be good. They also share with you on their website, information about the farms where the coffee is sourced from on their ‘sustainability’ page where they talk about organic coffees, relationship coffees and so on.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mP597YY9V1M/UFSf7lmLiKI/AAAAAAAACxE/yv1LPmbgS6A/s1600/Gimme+coffee_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mP597YY9V1M/UFSf7lmLiKI/AAAAAAAACxE/yv1LPmbgS6A/s320/Gimme+coffee_5.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
For us, the first cup we experienced was at the Green Street outlet in Ithaca. The following weekend, we were cajoled by our friend into visiting the outlet at Cayuga street. Did we really have to visit Gimme coffee again?! We had only a few weekends in Ithaca and all we seemed to be doing with them was going from one Gimme coffee place to another. But, of course, now we do think it was all worth it! And, it’s not that I have not wanted to share with others our very own ‘chai’ culture which I wrote about earlier at: <a href="http://www.indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2012/01/what-is-chai.html" target="_blank">what is chai</a> <br />
<br />
So, while we were at this Cayuga place on the Sunday morning, we looked around us and the place was filled with young people sipping their coffee and browsing the net. In India, we gradually moved over from the ‘Indian coffee shop’ to the ‘Café coffee day’. Actually, not quite. The people who visited the Indian coffee shop were a different generation from the ones who “hang out” at the Café Coffee day. Of course, there’s a few of us who belong to that previous generation who are still around and go to the Café Coffee day as well, for the “conversations” part of the coffee experience although I must say we just can never converse in the midst of all that music and din as effortlessly as the youngsters do these days! <br />
<br />
The Café coffee day experience in India is probably more comparable to the Starbucks experience in the American city. Gimme coffee is a bit different. It’s not about “being on the go”. It’s not about “conversations”. It’s more about the coffee. As we waited for our coffee at the Cayuga place, I saw a book on their shelves – ‘Café Life New York: an Insider’s Guide’ It was a book about New York city’s neighbourhood cafes. I browsed through it with great interest and came across these lines about the Gimme coffee: ‘Nobody comes to Gimme coffee for its décor, or its roominess, they come for the excellent coffee’ That said it all. <br />
<br />
This reminds me that I have earlier written about the <a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2012/07/stolen-coffee-room.html" target="_blank">Stolen Coffee room</a> which was really only about the décor because it’s objects from Chor bazaar made it so special. And now, this sharing about the artisan roasted coffee at the neighbourhood café is more about how one experiences a city and imbibes the culture of its people as you walk the streets, spend time at the café and have the opportunity to know experiences that are special to those who live there.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_LNt3_ka1Rs/UFSe28nac5I/AAAAAAAACw0/Z5jfvIWwvx4/s1600/Gimme+coffee_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_LNt3_ka1Rs/UFSe28nac5I/AAAAAAAACw0/Z5jfvIWwvx4/s400/Gimme+coffee_3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
There was always a prelude to our visit to Gimme coffee. A past experience that had to be shared or a story about it’s many flavours, since we were going to be able to sample just a few. There is the 'La Primavera Decaf' coffee with its taste of sweet cocoa, currant and brown sugar and the 'Finca San Luis' which tastes of crisp citrus, grape, apple and peach with an aroma that reminds of orange and fresh florals. This was how deep the experience could go! You could say this was way beyond the real thing, that it was about branding or about romanticizing the experience. Well, whatever it was, we enjoyed it! <br />
<br />
And, then there were times when we came back home and continued to talk about coffee! We talked about R.K.Narayan’s essays on coffee and our friend shared this YouTube video about the television sitcom <b>Seinfeld</b>, (another cultural phenomenon in America) and we watched an episode from ‘The Opposite’ on the coffee table book about coffee tables! That was the epilogue that seems to have made the coffee experience totally immortal for us!! <br />
<br />
The taste of the coffee lingers on, only this time the aroma ties up with much more because in America it was the coffee lens through which we saw life in the city. </div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-558845241013671922012-09-01T23:14:00.004+05:302012-09-01T23:28:03.337+05:30Ithaca Farmers' Market<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The week we arrived in Ithaca, the local Ithaca Times carried an article on the Silent movie era and its early days in Ithaca. It said ‘In 1913, Theodore Wharton came to Ithaca to shoot footage of typical college life, he liked the natural beauty of the town with its gorges and its lake and produced over 100 film titles from about 1914 to 1919. This is one of the few original silent film studios in the United States’. However, most people know Ithaca as the place in Upstate New York where Cornell University was founded in 1865 and which continues till today to be home to students from all over the world.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--nSSanzwPsc/UEJJJMkx5MI/AAAAAAAACvs/HxmuLSrpaWU/s1600/Ithaca+farmers+market_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--nSSanzwPsc/UEJJJMkx5MI/AAAAAAAACvs/HxmuLSrpaWU/s320/Ithaca+farmers+market_4.JPG" width="213" /></a><br />
For a student at Cornell, the University campus is all they know when they leave school. There is no time for anything else. Some remember the quadrangle where their department is housed. Others only remember the library where they spent all the hours of all their days here. For a student, this is definitely the centre of the universe with nothing else beyond. But, if you do not come here as a student, it is nice to also experience the town. For instance, there is the Cayuga lake, there are the Taughannock Falls, there is Stewart park and there is the Ithaca Farmer’s Market!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qTdnjljttH8/UEJJV_-ODYI/AAAAAAAACv0/jnUzEA51nIA/s1600/Ithaca+farmers+market_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qTdnjljttH8/UEJJV_-ODYI/AAAAAAAACv0/jnUzEA51nIA/s400/Ithaca+farmers+market_1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
The market is a co-operative with over 150 vendors who live within 30 miles of Ithaca. These vendors bring fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry as well as freshly baked goods, honey and sauces to the market at the Steamboat landing locatio (which we visited) every Saturday and Sunday. There is also the Dewitt Park location where the market takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There are artists and photographers who exhibit their work here. The Ithaca farmers’ market first opened in 1973 as a place for local food growers to sell their produce and for local artisans to market their crafts. Today, the location at the Steamboat landing is also a picnic place as people come here to shop, to listen to music and to just sit by the waterfront. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AwNP9VtncZI/UEJJdaKknkI/AAAAAAAACv8/9F7q2h46-_s/s1600/Ithaca+farmers+market_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AwNP9VtncZI/UEJJdaKknkI/AAAAAAAACv8/9F7q2h46-_s/s400/Ithaca+farmers+market_3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I am sharing here some photos from our weekend visit, when the weather was absolutely wonderful and we got a glimpse of the ‘shop+picnic’ scene in Ithaca. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8glyak43kts/UEJJhrFSJBI/AAAAAAAACwE/fuZw6NAjCbo/s1600/Ithaca+farmers+market_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8glyak43kts/UEJJhrFSJBI/AAAAAAAACwE/fuZw6NAjCbo/s400/Ithaca+farmers+market_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cq6lOG4-GXc/UEJJ-unjzXI/AAAAAAAACwM/ePViAbeVyXg/s1600/Ithaca+farmers+market_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cq6lOG4-GXc/UEJJ-unjzXI/AAAAAAAACwM/ePViAbeVyXg/s400/Ithaca+farmers+market_5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
There is a lot more about the Ithaca Farmers’ market at: <a href="http://www.ithacamarket.com/">http://www.ithacamarket.com/</a> <br />
</div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-79355779778373922102012-08-14T06:20:00.001+05:302012-08-14T20:46:14.273+05:30Faneuil Hall marketplace<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am sitting by the Boston Harbour as I write this post. There’s the hum of people talking as they walk past and the live music that’s playing nearby. There’s a view of the boats at the harbour with the reflection of the afternoon sun shimmering on their sides. This is just a two-minute walk from the Faneuil Hall marketplace where I’ve been all morning, my second time this week. It’s the weekend and there are crowds everywhere.</div>
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KrEV_DiLGTg/UCmkBv6mhpI/AAAAAAAACuc/jRqWl6vadMA/s1600/Faneuil+Hall_6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KrEV_DiLGTg/UCmkBv6mhpI/AAAAAAAACuc/jRqWl6vadMA/s400/Faneuil+Hall_6.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="color: #999999;"><i>The Faneuil Hall building as you approach it from the Boston Harbour side</i></span><br />
<br />
The Faneuil hall has served as a marketplace and meeting hall since it was built in 1742. It was donated to Boston by wealthy merchant Peter Faneuil to accommodate farmers bringing their products to town. The hall was built on land gained by the filling of a cove near the dilapidated town dock. The lower level of the hall was divided into stalls which sold meat, vegetables and dairy products. The large meeting room on the upper floor became Boston’s official town hall.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rr1ObtKZzLg/UCmkJId2FEI/AAAAAAAACuk/klqDKTUw1S0/s1600/Faneuil+Hall_9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rr1ObtKZzLg/UCmkJId2FEI/AAAAAAAACuk/klqDKTUw1S0/s400/Faneuil+Hall_9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #999999;"><i>The Plan of Boston showing the long, rectangular Quincy market and the North & South market buildings on either side as they face the Faneuil Hall. To the right, the map shows the Boston harbour. The 'North End' seen above is an old, Italian neighbourhood.</i></span><br />
<br />
In 1761, fire gutted Faneuil Hall, burning the interior. Two years later, repairs were completed, this time financed by a public lottery. In 1826, the Marketplace was expanded to include the new Quincy market building (as well as the North market & South market buildings) and became the hub of New England commerce in response to Boston’s rapid growth. These three market buildings along with the Faneuil Hall’s market stalls continued to be Boston’s wholesale food distribution center until the 1960’s. <span style="font-size: small;">(<i>Source: National Park Service, U.S.Department of the Interior, MA</i>)</span> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nDHnumyeWtE/UCmkSuk_QhI/AAAAAAAACus/Bg9BFT0kJoE/s1600/Faneuil+Hall_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nDHnumyeWtE/UCmkSuk_QhI/AAAAAAAACus/Bg9BFT0kJoE/s400/Faneuil+Hall_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #999999;"><i>The small sign of old times still exists, unlike the signage culture of today where urban landscapes with the scale and intensity of hoardings are becoming "cities of signs"</i></span><br />
<br />
Today, the Faneuil Hall is not a market in the traditional sense. There are no vendors selling fruits and vegetables or fish and meat. There are no flower sellers or booksellers. There is no barter, there is no bargaining, not anymore. The ground floor contains shops and eating establishments. The second floor meeting room is used by the Park Rangers of the National Park Service. The third floor has the museum and armory of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. Here is a link to the official website: <a href="http://www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com/">http://www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com/</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9f6Lkqt0JXo/UCmkaIqRcUI/AAAAAAAACu0/_uyYJ9Js4Oo/s1600/Faneuil+Hall_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9f6Lkqt0JXo/UCmkaIqRcUI/AAAAAAAACu0/_uyYJ9Js4Oo/s400/Faneuil+Hall_3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #999999;"><i>A shopfront inside the Quincy market building with its line of eateries offering clam chowder, bagel pizzas, icecreams and starbucks coffee and so much else.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><i> </i></span> <br />
Now, the Faneuil hall is visited by not only the locals who live in Boston but also tourists who come here from all over the country and from all over the world. You can buy food, you can buy clothes, you can learn about the history of the place, you can hear live music sometimes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6NBV3770Qks/UCmkfhvCt1I/AAAAAAAACu8/MGXlYzjFRwk/s1600/Faneuil+Hall_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6NBV3770Qks/UCmkfhvCt1I/AAAAAAAACu8/MGXlYzjFRwk/s400/Faneuil+Hall_5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #999999;"><i>The urban space between the three market buildings becomes the place for social interaction</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><i> </i></span> <br />
You find places to be with the food and the music; spaces where you can sit and watch people as you contemplate about life. The Faneuil Hall marketplace and the Boston Harbour are urban spaces that are designed to let you do that. And, I think that’s what I like about this marketplace. Here, you can relax after you shop, you can spend time with your family outdoors in the midst of the shopping and the eating. It’s a place where you can take a stroll, have a drink, laugh together as you “do nothing”. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
I am reminded of Jan Gehl’s book <i>Life between buildings</i> which emphasizes that planning processes must begin by understanding the spaces between buildings. He says, “First life, then spaces, then buildings – the other way around never works.” The book was first published in 1971 and continues to be a widely used handbook on the relationship between public spaces and the social life in cities.<br />
<br />
In an Indian bazaar, the “life between buildings” is sometimes about livelihoods, sometimes about shelter (with streets often encroached upon by migrants & the informal sector). It is never about “doing nothing”. It is not a concept associated with our urban spaces. We do not have planned urban spaces. We have streets that flow into each other and life flows in these streets. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BbqoI4EEvFo/UCmktbtPhAI/AAAAAAAACvM/zLEko5bEkqI/s1600/Faneuil+Hall_10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BbqoI4EEvFo/UCmktbtPhAI/AAAAAAAACvM/zLEko5bEkqI/s400/Faneuil+Hall_10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xfAHMdvdYxc/UCmk2AEkvLI/AAAAAAAACvU/a_VH72kGEGs/s1600/Faneuil+Hall_8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xfAHMdvdYxc/UCmk2AEkvLI/AAAAAAAACvU/a_VH72kGEGs/s400/Faneuil+Hall_8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #999999;"><i>The pushcarts inside the market buildings create an informal environment for shopping. Faneuil Hall marketplace was the first in the country to introduce pushcart shopping providing entrepreneurial opportunity to New England artisans.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><i> </i></span> <br />
As I walk the streets of Boston and absorb the marketplace experience at Faneuil Hall, I realize that there is so much to appreciate here and to learn from and simultaneously know that the complexity in the streets of India has its own place. It is yet an unplanned complexity, one in which there are many who participate, knowingly or unknowingly. Of course, the mind goes back to India and to Russell market in Bangalore which a friend tells me has been buzzing with Ramzan festivity in the evenings.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jFiQ8xJbhOE/UCmkliz992I/AAAAAAAACvE/pHGxZroEwAU/s1600/Faneuil+Hall_7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jFiQ8xJbhOE/UCmkliz992I/AAAAAAAACvE/pHGxZroEwAU/s400/Faneuil+Hall_7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="color: #999999;"><i>A sign that we'd like to see outside the many, many historic market buildings in the cities of India conserving architectural heritage and our urban heritage.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><i> </i></span> <br />
I sit down a second time now to continue writing this post, now at the Coop Store at Harvard Square, away from the sunny marketplace environment of the Faneuil Hall and the Quincy market. The Coop, founded by Harvard students in 1882 and established as a cooperative is open to the public offering four floors of books and a cafetaria. The Coop is a store where you browse books with greater leisure than you would in a library, sipping your coffee and knowing that the Coop Store like the Faneuil Hall is designed for you to contemplate about life and all you want to learn from it.<br />
<br /><br />
Related Posts:<br />
<a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.com/2011/04/marketplace-lonely-planet-blog-carnival.html" target="_blank">The Marketplace: Lonely Planet Blog Carnival #23</a></div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34742897.post-40951854883643110882012-07-27T12:06:00.004+05:302013-10-23T09:55:58.411+05:30Stolen Coffee Room<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The ‘Stolen Coffee room’ is a coffee shop which has most of its furniture and the art that fills its walls from Chor Bazaar. Now, that is something new, but that this coffee shop with the ambience and charm of a European café is in Nerul, that is “most unusual”. If you’ve lived in Bombay 15 years before or if you grew up in Bombay before then, you would know what I mean!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PKun0E-MupY/UBI2YWz3dLI/AAAAAAAACs0/hPa1bp4YL9s/s1600/coffee+shop_6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PKun0E-MupY/UBI2YWz3dLI/AAAAAAAACs0/hPa1bp4YL9s/s400/coffee+shop_6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
It was a complete revelation to visit Nerul this time I went to Bombay, having lived away for many years now. It’s a relatively new suburb of Bombay. I grew up in Sion and for many living in South Bombay then, Sion was a suburb they had never been to and Nerul is further North! Today, Nerul has modern residential complexes and interesting restaurants that you would want to travel through the city’s traffic to get to (from South Bombay!) Thanks to Anjali who invited me to lunch at the Bangali Mashi's kitchen off Palm Beach road and then to coffee afterwards introducing me to two great places in one afternoon and simultaneously to the changing landscape of the city! You can already read Anjali's totally absorbing post <a href="http://annaparabrahma.blogspot.in/2012/07/friendly-neighborhood-bangali-mashis.html" target="_blank">Friendly Neighbourhood Bangali Mashi's Kitchen</a> at her blog dedicated to food <a href="http://annaparabrahma.blogspot.in/" target="_blank">Anna Parabhahma</a>. I also liked what Anjali has to say about the Stolen coffee room, to read more on that, you can go here: <a href="http://annaparabrahma.blogspot.in/2012/07/lost-my-heart-to-stolen-coffee-room.html" target="_blank">Lost my heart to the Stolen Coffee room</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LAjXAIqZmX0/UBI2g9FnqRI/AAAAAAAACs8/371cuJiYbj4/s1600/coffee+shop_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LAjXAIqZmX0/UBI2g9FnqRI/AAAAAAAACs8/371cuJiYbj4/s400/coffee+shop_3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I’m happy to write this post and include it here on this blog because the ‘Stolen Coffee Room’ has a connection to the Bazaar. As it’s name suggests, it has been designed and put together from selecting objects from Chor Bazaar, which supposedly had stolen items for sale in the old days, though today it is the place to buy antiques in Bombay. I’ve written earlier about Chor Bazaar at <a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2010/11/bollywood-movies.html" target="_blank">Bollywood Posters</a> and <a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2010/03/bazaar-tour-2-antique-market.html" target="_blank">Bazaar Tour 2: Antiques Mumbai</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_qaV9loxQUk/UBI2oiwI0CI/AAAAAAAACtE/rwy9QSu4ffA/s1600/coffee+shop_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_qaV9loxQUk/UBI2oiwI0CI/AAAAAAAACtE/rwy9QSu4ffA/s400/coffee+shop_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Coming back to our coffee shop with its chor bazaar ancestry, it’s design concept is interesting. Not every table at the Stolen Coffee Room looks like another. Each table is a different one. The chairs are all different. As you sit in the café with your cup of coffee, you wonder where that chair has been before, did it belong to another café or was it a family that used it in their home before it was found at Chor Bazaar. There is history behind each painting on the wall, inside every kettle in the glass cupboard.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kgUnpuwBTwc/UBI2uJrPyqI/AAAAAAAACtM/UTQIbMs1JVk/s1600/coffee+shop_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kgUnpuwBTwc/UBI2uJrPyqI/AAAAAAAACtM/UTQIbMs1JVk/s400/coffee+shop_1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
The other day, a friend who has grown up in Bombay but now lives in Bangalore talked of her excitement at seeing the new “high-end” coffee shop come up opposite her parents’ house in Hill road. “You know, the kind where you get a pastry for Rs.150!” she had said. She was so surprised to find how this once simple Hill road lane had changed with these “high-end” coffee shops coming up in locations where there had once been businesses with “immoral” activities; where brand showrooms had been willing to pay exhorbitant real estate prices for a space in a building which she so clearly remembers from her childhood to be a “panvati” building (That’s Bombay terminology for a building with a curse on it). These changes in old neighbourhoods were becoming more frequent and quite drastic.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gMju84N3Q30/UBI21nE_n8I/AAAAAAAACtU/S8pfWFhhoWg/s1600/coffee+shop_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gMju84N3Q30/UBI21nE_n8I/AAAAAAAACtU/S8pfWFhhoWg/s400/coffee+shop_4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Here, in Bangalore, we have been closely watching the changes that have been taking place in the ‘Adigas lane’ – that’s the lane off Bannerghatta road, close to the Arakere gate signal junction. Most of us here call it by this name because of the fast food restaurant ‘Adigas’. It occupies a place close to the corner property. Beyond that and away from the main road were independent houses. It was a quiet lane when we first moved here five years ago. Then, gradually, a <i>Baskin Robbins</i> came up, the vada-pav chain – <i>Goli Pav</i>, the Juhu Bombay <i>Naturals Ice cream</i> parlour, the <i>Lakme Salon</i> moved here. Further down, a gym has opened up and the library chain <i>Just Books</i> and now the <i>Cuppa</i> coffee shop which will be ‘opening soon’. All of this in the last five years.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oqRIT-A6NQ4/UBI26vX3aKI/AAAAAAAACtc/yMAqEdF8o2I/s1600/coffee+shop_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oqRIT-A6NQ4/UBI26vX3aKI/AAAAAAAACtc/yMAqEdF8o2I/s320/coffee+shop_5.JPG" width="233" /></a></div>
There is so much that is happening in our lives. There are the old neighbourhoods that are changing rapidly and the new neighbourhoods that are leaping forward. We are becoming a consumerist society and our streets and neighbourhoods seem to mirror it all. You can look into this mirror and think 'our cities are changing' or you can look into it and think 'we are changing, did we want to?'<br />
<br />
Related post:<br />
<a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/2011/02/design-inspiration-from-bazaar.html" target="_blank">Design Inspiration from the Bazaar</a><br />
<br />
<i>(Anjali, thanks for letting me take pictures with your camera and for your photograph of the blue facade!)</i><br />
<br /></div>
Indian Bazaarshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914323475841527802noreply@blogger.com5