Bazaar is one of the Indian traditions that come from India’s agrarian society in more than six lakhs (600,000) villages. Bazaar appears in many forms all over India. Weekly bazaar is most common. These are held at market places or at grounds used by convention within groups of villages, or at nearby towns.There are bazaars of domestic animals – cows, bullocks, buffalos, goats, sheep, camels... besides agricultural – vegetable – forest products, products of household and agricultural uses. At Tarnetar Fair, once in year, in the desert of Rajasthan. There are camels along with other animals, and goods.
Dancing Ganesh“Ganesh”, Lingaraj Temple (c. 1000), Bhuvaneshwar, Orissa:
Graphic by Remigius de Souza, Pencil on paper (7.00” x 10.00”)
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Mumbai, like any other city, is not only a parasite on the regions far and near, but also lives a life of hydroponics. The flower bazaar at Dadar is a visible example. Here flowers, leaves, grasses... and sticks of Babul tree are sold, which is used for cleaning teeth.
The flower bazaar at Dadar, in the island city, has been there for decades, or perhaps for ten to fifteen decades, and is a landmark. No one knows, perhaps not even the planners of the city since its foundation. Otherwise the flower bazaar in Dadar would have received a dignified place of heritage.
The flower bazaar at Dadar, in the island city, has been there for decades, or perhaps for ten to fifteen decades, and is a landmark. No one knows, perhaps not even the planners of the city since its foundation. Otherwise the flower bazaar in Dadar would have received a dignified place of heritage.
Flower Bazaar at Mumbai during Ganesh Festival--------------------------------
During the Ganesh festival, people from surrounding villages and forests bring fruits, wild flowers, leaves, grasses of great variety. With increasing population and devotees, more and more supply comes here during the festival; so also more Ganesh idols.
The modern town planners groomed and trained by western education failed to plan city for the people; they plan for the standards devised by the West, even though hundreds of Indian cities have been existing for more than thousand years. The education system of teaching modern town planning has so far failed to investigate inherent principles of the existing Indian cities and towns.
The modern town planners groomed and trained by western education failed to plan city for the people; they plan for the standards devised by the West, even though hundreds of Indian cities have been existing for more than thousand years. The education system of teaching modern town planning has so far failed to investigate inherent principles of the existing Indian cities and towns.
During the last decade or so, some changes are taking place. Now the market brings exotic flowers such a as orchids to this bazaar during the festivals as well as synthetic (plastic) flowers. These images were taken by me about ten years ago, before the flyover was built.
Read more on Ganesh and the flower bazaar:
1. My “Shri Ganesh”
2. Dancing Ganesh
3. Flowers forever
Anand Coomaraswamy in his book “YAKSAS: Essays in the Water Cosmology” has written very illuminating chapter on “Mahayaksa” Ganesh. For my review of this book, see LINK
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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.
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