My earliest memory of a Bazaar is the one I witnessed with my Dad. As I can remember, all my first memories have been with Daddy. This Bazaar is located in a small hamlet of about 300 homes. This anecdote is from 1996. Now of course, this hamlet has grown and has a Gram Panchayat and an English Medium school- a known requirement of a fully grown village hub these days. The Bazaar would only open on sundays. It was located on a vast tract of plateau land. Children and adults alike would sit with their wares, and buyers would move through the entire area chatting with everyone. Since everyone knew each other well, barter system was quite common.
Years later, the concept of Bazaars has got a new dimension. Now there are mega malls and shopping complexes instead of the humble street side sellers. Central Bazaar Districts established by the British in then Bombay, have still retained their charm and usefulness for residents. And, one such sunday morning walk through some Bazaars in mumbai showed me a different side of the chaos and clutter that usually defines this lively city. The light drizzling at 7am and the cool breeze while navigating through the wide lanes that usually struggle for pedestrian space, all made walking a pleasant experience. The colorful array of umbrellas and the green leafy enclaves provided for a lovely photography excursion. The streets were empty and thus seemed wide enough for us to walk together without looking our backs for evading traffic. A rare mumbai street sight.
First rains make this city unbearable to walk. The water logs in low lying areas and the overflowing drains make one detest their stay. However, this city also has its own beauty with the Marine Drive arena surrounded by crowds on weekends and the entire city out on streets on sundays to enjoy rains by the sea. My memories of the sea are associated with evenings spent looking at sunsets in summer days. I don't think any other city in India makes monsoons seem so attractive & longed for and so loved by its locales.
Even with the Crawford Market being under repair and maintenance, its hard to suppress myself from visiting the building and taking a walk through the entire complex. Abdul Rehman Street with its otherwise chaos of people on weekdays seemed beautiful with its quiet environs early morning. A special Royal Falooda at Baadshah in rains was another special treat. A washdown made the trees look super fresh and the green leaves sparkled amidst the cloudy atmosphere. Truly, a memorable walk along the quaint places in a Bombay very few know exists.
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