Bombay: Mumbai City - Gateway of India

ORDERS AND DISORDERS: THE LIFE OF A STREET...

Mapping Everyday Spaces 

A Tale of "three" Markets

It was a February afternoon when I first took a stroll along this road.Trams are your only companion if you want to experience the whole stretch at a go. It started with a slow jerk and continued to become slower and slower along the way. One ride was simply not enough to untangle my thoughts. 

One day, my father asked what I observed every day. After many sluggish tram rides along the Chitpur Road (Kolkata), only one thing came across my mind; those exceptionally lively and vibrant markets along the road which are in essence unlike each other.

Through these series of photographs, I have tried to capture some moments from three markets along this thoroughfare. These three markets, although bearing the same postfix ‘bajar’, clearly narrate different stories about the place. Let's take a journey along the road.....

Sovabajar : Your Everyday venture

Those small things

Photo Courtesy :  Indranil Bhattacharya

Of Gods and fishes

 

‘Lau koto kore’ (How much is that Bottle-gourd)

Hear me out

Elderly Vigor

Because it’s ChatPuja

Photo Courtesy :  Indranil Bhattacharya

It’s Breakfast Time

(Top: snaps from Sovabaza ; Bottom: Old chinapara in Teretti bajar)

Barabazar: Life of Color

Of sweet, sour and spices

Photo Courtesy : Top left and Bottom Right : Indranil Bhattacharya

Throne of God

Photo Courtesy :  Indranil Bhattacharya

He looks on......

The seller and sweets

The one who polishes the marble..

Teretti Bajar: : With all that is unforeseen

Fly Whisk and Foot Ware

Photo Courtesy :  Indranil Bhattacharya

The chef in his Kitchen

Photo Courtesy :  Indranil Bhattacharya

To be cooked....

                       

Ready to ship

Photo Courtesy :  Indranil Bhattacharya

Acknowledgement: 

I sincerely thank Indranil Bhattacharya and Rumpa Das for their valuable time and enthusiasm. I am also grateful to Indanil Da for sharing some of his clicks with me.

Author’s Bio Note: 

Rishika Mukhopadhyay is an M.Phil research scholar in Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics,University of Delhi. Chitpur Road, Kolkata is her present study area. Her research interests lie in the domain of Urban and Cultural Studies. She can be contacted at rishika.mukho@gmail.com

ORDERS AND DISORDERS: THE LIFE OF A STREET..

A Piquant Exposure

Chhota Bazaar Street Market[1]

It was a November morning, when I was walking down the street of Chhota Bazaar[2] in Shahdara. It provided me a distinct experience of function and aesthetic form of the street that are inseparable from the eyes of dreams. The street possess many distinctive forms that support counter-cultural lifestyles and multi-colored large-scale instances of street art and murals that are situated throughout the street.This street is a combination of the idiosyncratic shop fronts, the valorisation of strolling; aimless wandering and street art make this an area of ironies which is counter-cultural and cool at the same time. The order to dispense with this Bazaar is part of a series of such orders.

I have taken a series of photographs through which I have tried to capture the vibrant motions of the city that hold their traditional essence in the modern way of life. Now lets start the journey of the Chhota Bazaar through these static realities.....

A journey starts from sweets…

Prasadam – a heavenly touch…

In auspiciousnesss - kuch mitha ho jaye…

Needs for prayer...

To fulfil rituals of spirituality…

A seller of ritualistic literature...

Gods in the city....

The varied sellers....

He roams and sells…

A traditional jewel shop: Myriad faces of being busy in business

The tastiest food: Roadies way.....

"Bhaiya ek plate aur dena…(bhaiya please give me one more plate…)"

A woman and her ceramic products

Old and Undeterred by the market…

A cobbler lost and found in space....

Views of jostling street: In its true nature...

Display in street: Variety of utensils..

End Notes:

---

[1]Chhota Bazaar in Shahdara is situated on the banks of Yamuna River.

[2]Bazaar is approximately of One and a quarter Km, with average street width of 18 Mtrs. It starts from Sabzi mandi and ends at Shahdara railway station.

Author's Bio- Note:  

Pratibha Tomar is a Cultural Geographer. She completed her Master of Arts (Geography) from the Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi. She is presently pursuing her M. Phil from the same department. Her research interests are growth and development of urban spaces, cultural geography, landscape geography and contemporary city planning and development.

ORDERS AND DISORDERS: THE LIFE OF A STREET

 Commotion and Quiescence

A morning trance of street-life in North-East district of Delhi

North-East Delhi is a unique region that provides an amalgamation of love and bonding. People from the northern states of India migrated here to create a mix composite of different cultures. This region has evolved struggling the odds of daily life. I am trying to explore the life in the morning in Karawal Nagar, an urban village of North-East Delhi. 

A person’s physical and social environment is considered as an influencing factor in terms of ways of engagement in various activities. These activities are influenced by space and these activities define spaces. Given the available resources and infrastructural facilities, people of this area have adopted their life accordingly. In the morning, the Sun rises and people engage in their routine chores. Through these photographs, I have tried to take you on a journey of the routine chores of morning life in Karawal nagar area of North-East Delhi.

Flowers: A symbol of worship and veneration.

The Temple and Sun Salutation(surya namaskar) an auspicious beginning of the day.

Marching Sadhus in the street.

Mother Dairy - Integral part of morning life: People sanguinely waiting for their turn.

Water is life: An indispensable contest to win.

Man in fashion: Grooming meekly.

Pacing life: Quick breakfast at Theliwala (street vendor)…..and Fruits for good health.

God is omniscient: Temporary abode of goddess Durga in the street corner.

Morning Street is brimming  with people going to work.

Daily wage labourers waiting for their fate to be called on...

Any problem in your motorcycle? Here we are!

Its morning Masti-time -  Let’s Play the charm.

Divine discourses in the street corners and preparation of breakfast.

Author’s Bio- Note: 

Vivek Tripathi is a Ph. D Research Scholar in the Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi. His research interests are Crime,Space and Media, social and cultural geography. He can be contacted at vivektripathi21@gmail.com.