Just Walking Around

Aathawda Baazar --- The mesmerizing world of Weekly Bazaar.

Its well know that India is an Agrarian society and 80% of its population still lives in its villages. Its heart lies in these culturally diverse but all-encompassing small in-habitation known in local languages as Gaon or Gaav. Much has been written and said about the village life. Even today most of the villages don’t have proper shops or all in one malls that we in the cities take for granted. The simple folks of these villages sell or buy their produce at the local markets called the Aathwada bazaar or the weekly markets. The local administration usually the Gram Panchayat earmarks a vacant plot of land where shops are allowed to be put up by the villagers to sell what they produce or procure from neighbouring towns. A fixed day of the week is designated for this weekly market hence the name Aathavada bazaar as it falls on a specific day of the week. Easy to remember and shopping for the entire week for all the folks. Usually its in the middle of the week “Wednesday” or on the weekends “Fridays” , when the market is set up. Most of the shop owners are the farmers or fruit vendors or grocers . Sometimes if the Bazaar is well known then people from neighbouring villages also set up their shops to get a larger audience.

The best experience of these Aathawada Baazar can be had in villages in Konkan especially in Ratnagiri area. SATURDAY morning, 7 o’clock or thereabouts, a certain madness sets into Ratnagiri as housewives and men of the house get up early and make a dash for the ‘Athawda’ bazaar near the old ST bus-stand there. And this is a weekly bazaar that has been going on here for the past ten years or so. There’s nothing official about it, of course, but the Athawda bazaar is encouraged by the local Municipality. The municipality comes in on Sunday to clean up the place and return the area to its somewhat less than pristine glory of before the Athawda bazaar. The bazaar is held, like a flea market on a Goan beach, once a week on Saturday. This is a good day for a bazaar because most people shop for the entire next week here. And they get an opportunity to bump into old friends and gossip. It is not as if Ratnagiri does not have its regular markets. Most housing colonies have a small bhajiwala outside that caters to the residents. And on prominent streets in the city, on a smaller scale than the Athawda bazaar, fruit and vegetable vendors run a small market on Tuesdays.

Besides which, at the Athawda bazaar venue on week days, Ratnagiri’s ‘Maamis’ in their half-Navaris (nine-yard sarees) sit on the footpaths and sell veggies and fruit grown locally. Whatever is in season, and whatever quantity they have, is put up for sale. It could be anything from firewood to jackfruit. These Maamis don’t do business by weights but deal in portions. They don’t understand kilos and litres. Everything is a “wata” measure here. The Athawda bazaar goes on all day. The vendors come with fruits and vegetables and other consumer items from all the small villages in and around Ratnagiri. Some come from as far as Sangli and Miraj in trucks, driving overnight for five or six hours, so as to be early at the Athawda bazaar with their produce.

The Maamis don’t come on out Saturday. This day is meant for serious, big-time shopping. When everything is sold by weight. When people come for “imported, exotic” vegetables and not the local greens grown in the backyard of the Maamis’ homes. And where the bhajiwalas have fixed spots and fixed customers who enjoy their weekly bargain with them. Everything is garden fresh. And the variety is vast and complete. Not like the small Tuesday market on the local streets. Vegetables and fruit are the big draw at the Athawda bazaar. And spices. The bazaar has any number of vendors with their spices in big sacks and in small watas.

One small section is segregated, perhaps because of the smell, for the dry-fish sellers. These are all generally women. And though Ratnagiri is a coastal city and has a jetty where fresh fish be bought daily, there are several takers for the dry-fish here. This too is sold by the wata, not the kilo, and the fish vendor has measures made of brass and wood to sell the dry-fish.

By evenings, the fruit, vegetable and dry-fish vendors leave, and the Athawda bazaar is taken over by sellers of household items. Everything from buckets and pans to aluminum scrubs and junk jewellery. The last sales are done under lights thrown by lamps.

A recent phenomenon of the same type experience in our very own city of Mumbai is the “Farmer’s Market” at various location. Once such farmers market happens very near to where we stay at King Circle at the grounds of Indian Gymkhana. Here on a Tuesday’s farmers co-operatives from as far as Nashik , Kolhapur , Sangli and Satara come with their farm fresh produce in small tempos. You can wander around their stalls and be awestruck at the size and freshness of the vegetables they bring. The veggies are green and mostly organically produced with no chemical fertilizers. You can get the largest Cauliflowers and cabbages . The potatoes and onion are also of best quality , which do not get in your local neighborhood markets. Even the exotics veggies like Broccoli , Zucchini –Green& Yellow, Bell peppers – Red & Yellow , Celery and Iceberg Lettuce are the freshest and  mouth watering.

There are fruit vendors bringing fresh and juiciest  fruits from across Maharashtra. Grape growers association bring the best ever grapes . They are cherubic , large and sweet to the core. Not like the piddly ones we get at the local fruit seller. The Strawberries from Mahabaleshwar & Panchgani are ruby red and mix of sweet & sour taste. Even the Ber or the Bor fruit which arrive just before Makar Sankranti are of good variety . Large , golden and very sweet. The green ones are the size of  small apples. The pineapples are bright orange and sweet to the core. Even the water melons from Panvel or Aliabug are bright red on the inside and real sweet. Make a glass of juice or have just like that for a healthy life.

At other stalls you even get fresh grains like rice , wheat , bajara & jowar . Pulses like channa, rajma,  chawli also of good quality. The puffed rice or Poha are soft , fresh and white . And you expect the best Poha dish when you make the traditional Maharashtrian Kande or batate pohe. Some stalls keep the fresh ground masala’s like red chilly powder , turmeric power and special mixture like garam masal or the Kolhapuri masala used in non-veg dishes. Expect the taste to be spicy and hot when put in dishes like Missals or in Chicken and Mutton gravies.

All these farm fresh vegetables and fruits are at very economical rates as they are directly sold by the farmers themselves. There are no overheads of the APMC market or the middle men .

If you want to experience some fun and chaos and shop for some sundry item head to the Budhwar Bazaar or the Wednesday Market near St.Micheal’s Church at Mahim . Vendors put up their shops on the footpath leading to church. Here you can have a wonderful time picking up accessories like hair clips , hair band , wrist band , oxidized anklets etc for the girls and women. Some sell handbags , sling bags , clutch bags and purses sourced from whole sellers in and around Mumbai city. Some bring hosiery tops , frocks and dresses from manufacturing units in Vasai or Bhiwandi. These are soft and cute. You can also get lot of regular use stationary items like erasers in different shapes and sizes , colour crayons , sketch pens , glitter pens and foot long ball pens. Some sell house hold items made of recycled plastics like boxes , containers , buckets , washing brushes , scrubs at bargain prices. Some sell cotton bed sheets and cushion covers in good colors and designs.

So next time you want to shop for fresh veggies , fruits or even some sundry item do head to these Athawada bazaar’s and experience the thrill amidst the chaos ..

Have fun and enjoy the shopping…