Weekly Markets

Indian weekly markets in some states also called "Haats" are for the traveller one of the most interesting places to know some of the sides of the life and the people in India. All around India I have found colourful markets, but in my opinion almost always the rural markets are more interesting than the city markets, but sometimes even at the big cities is possible to enjoy with very special markets.

All over the world exist this custom of the weekly markets, and even in the city where I live here in Spain, thursdays are the days for a huge weekly market.

Moving around India I have definitively choosen by large tribal markets in Orissa and Chhattisgarh as my favourites.

Probably some indiamikers will appreciate a more or less accurate list of our favourite "weekly markets" just for in case they are not too far to pay a visit.

I've been recently in Bastar district in Chhattisgarh and in Koraput district in Orissa and have been enough fortunate to enjoy several markets.

Just to introduce some of this markets, here you have a list of some of the most interesting markets in Bastar district in Chhattisgarh:

Monday:Tokapal - Muli - Jaibel Bajawana - Bhampuri - Lalaguda

Tuesday:Pakhnar - Madpal - Ghotia - Lamker - Usribeda - Sonpur - Kachnar - Mongrapal - Kolavali - Pakhanar

Wednesday: Alnar - Dharba - Tirathgarh - Kesharpal - Retawada

Thursday: Chingpal - Kodenar - Bastar - Mundagaon - Sargipal - Potanar

Friday: Lohandiguda - Nangpur - Nagarnar - Kukanar - Rajnabar

Saturday: Mardoom - Devda - Pharasgaon - Nagarnar - Bastanar

Sunday: Jagdalpur - Narayanpur - Chingitarai - Jaitgiri - Chitrakoot


Now is the time to other member to increase this list with their preferred weekly markets...



Jorge

PD - Here you have an example of a very small but colourful weekly market. In this case: Lakhsmipur north east of Koraput in a very sensitive area (they say is "infested with naxalites")
http://jreverter.smugmug.com/Other/Laxmipur-2011/

Nobody's around ??????:con fused:

It seems that the weekly markets are absolutely "Off the beaten threads......"

The good news are: the markets will remain unspoilt for the next years

Jorge

Great information as always Jorge. I'm going to bookmark this page for my next trip to India, whenever that may be ...

Hi Jorge, you obviously enjoyed your last trip to India immensely from the various posts on IndiaMike and excellent photo albums you have posted on Smugmug.
The tribal district has changed little over the past few years with the markets still going as strong and colourful as ever bringing a little festive feeling every week to our lives. Though the Onekadeli market of late is a little quieter than usual due to the district administration banning country liquor selling because of the associated problems in the town, therefore the Bonda numbers are down. These restrictions usually fizzle out over a period of weeks or months so we will wait and see what happens because the liquor selling is now obviously the main reason for most of the Bondas to come to that market.

Market day is today(Monday) at Kakiriguma which is a casual friendly market set in a plot of old mango and fig trees as most markets are.
Like you, I never tire of the markets as they are a fascinating parade of people of various backgrounds and cultures all jumbled together. They are the stitching that holds the fabric of tribal culture together and this important fact is missed by most of the tour operators who usually breeze by them so matter of factly.
With a good local guide, and/or time and willingness to immerse yourself into the local cultures as a participating spectator, you will be as greatly rewarded as Jorge and myself are. It is much easier than it first appears.

From reading many of your posts Jorge you are beautifully rewarded by taking it a little further to sit having a chai and chat. It may be with the local farmer or trader or tribal when communication allows, and as you can attest, it usually does as there is almost always someone who will lead you into their world.

Hi vinceorian,

Nice to know updated details of the "weekly markets" in Koraput district from a connoisseur.

I have not yet uploaded in my Smugmug gallery the pictures taken at the Bonda's market of Onukudeli (too many pictures to be edited) but the market was a bit dissapointing in a certain way: Too many tourists in a so small market and all of them paying taxes (10 rupees) to the bondas for every single picture and also the liquor's matter. Not so many beautiful bonda ladies and very few gadabas. Nevertheless is still a very appealing place to go if you are near there and is a thursday....

I have also enjoyed very much the weekly market of Kunduli very close to Koraput. Is a really huge road market with lot of ambiance and even a big liquor area. The market is going on fridays.

As you say the market of Kakiriguma on mondays is also a very good option if you are in the area. Small village wiyh a colourful market. Here in this gallery you can have a look at the people you'll find there (I'm sorry but in the gallery there are only women...:
http://jreverter.smugmug.com/Other/Kakiriguma-2011/

Enjoy tribal areas as long as it is possible.

Jorge


PD - not much interest in this thread, may be the answer is because people has never been there...

To answer your question re not much interest..They are too busy looking at nonentity threads such as peeing in hotel sinks.

Have you read the book Goddess in the Stones, written by Norman Lewis.

He travelled in tribal Orissa end of the 1980.s. He writes very well.

Chenna podda of that area , a baked cheese cake is divine

Also how do you find the shutter lag on the SX30.

Hi fsg,

The subjects of the threads are sometimes not much interesting for me but every member/traveller has a different background of what a trip to India means and now the majority of the members are indians, so the subjects are not the same than years ago.

I read Norman Lewis's book many years ago and re-read it ten years ago and was the reason to travel to Orissa for the first time ten years ago repeating the same itinerary than Norman did. To make things more surprising have traveled by chance with the same guide than Norman did (Ranjan if I remember well in the book and Sarat in the real life). I have even written a book about this journey. In the first pages of my photo gallery (Jorge Reverter) and in my son's gallery (Jorge Jr) you can have a look at some pictures taken in this trip (two galleries because the space in the galleries was limited at that time and my son was coming with me). Many details in the book were not much exacts but this is another story, and he was already in his eighties and traveling with his wife.

About the shutter lag of SX 30 I cannot say much as I take 90 percent of the pictures with my Canon 450D Sigma18-200 with a much better time (almost no delay) for shooting. I took the SX just for in case I should have a problem with the 450, and of course the delay is a problem but when you use normally this camera you become accustomed.

I think I have never tried Chenna Podda, may be in Puri near Jaggannaut temple I took something like that really tasty, but I'm not sure.

All the best


Jorge

brilliant photos Jorge, thanks for sharing

Bit like experiencing the monsoon in rural India, very few tourists know how good it is.

It is only through forums like this that people can be "enlightened" by those who are prepared to share their experiences in a positive manner, and also India is not only Kerala, Goa and Rajahstan.

Almost every time I go to Koraput I get 200-300grams of this delicious sweet from opposite the post office. Good samosas etc for Rs2/- a piece at the same place.

Jorge

Can you post a link to the script you wrote please.

V'orian Yes that is the same shop I bought the cheesecake from.

fellow there pronounced it Channa, no ways could it have been made from that, but a little internet searching found it.

I think I might have seen it in the German bakery in Puri, but Im not a fan of foreign food in India, prefer the local delicacies, like the samosas from the K'put shop, so filling, so good and so cheap. The shop was always busy, a good sign for fresh food.

[QUOTE=fsg;1178904]Jorge

Can you post a link to the script you wrote please.


Is written in spanish I'm sorry but my english is too short to try a translation. Anyway if still interested I'll send in a mail. My email address is jorgereverter@gmail.com


Channa are not a sweet are chickpeas.

Jorge

Channa in my parlance, S india is chick peas.

Your English is absolutely understandable.

You are not in a call centre in Mumbai/Delhi trying to sort out my internet problem.

Best wishes

fantastic photos! I probably won't see markets during my time in India; i loved visiting them in Mexico and Guatemala. Your photos remind me of those markets.

Just for in case somebody is near Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh I recommend for next friday to pay a visit to the weekly market in Lohandiguda, to have an idea what you'll find there, here you have a bunch of portraits taken last month of March 2011 at the market.

http://jreverter.smugmug.com/Other/Lohandiguda-2011/


Jorge