Jai ho! The streets of India and beyond

A chai wala pouring tea into a metal mesh holder containing several glass tumblers; a thin young man with a maroon coloured cloth around his neck resting with his feet on the rickshaw handle; invigorating fumes coming out of a small sweet shop; an approaching cycle with resounding “tring” “tring” sound coming to a sudden halt by a stray cow in the middle of the street; the cob webbed view of the sky through many running electrical wires; Aah! You are on the bazaars of India!

The bazaar or market place, gives a kaleidoscopic peek into the local experience of life in India. The sights, the sounds and the smells create an amalgamation of events which needs much chance to appreciate.

If you want to experience the true morning colours of India, it’s out there at the corner of every street.

Here are some of my favourites:

The street vagabonds- Go to any local paan and jalebi shop and you will find many young men hanging around. What may beat the eye is that these youth are out on these shops not just to have a treat but it’s what keeps them busy during the day. They are young boys in search of or in denial of a job. They are out on the street as it is not a culturally accepted norm for men to hang around in their homes doing no work.

The Chai walas- Before there was “Starbucks” and “Barista”, there were the chai walas. If there was a vote of choice between the modern cafes and the chai walas, the later will surely win by a huge margin. There are many tales of how in certain localities, the big cafes were run out of business due to the presence of a famous chai-sweet shop.

Hinglish language- Over a period of time much common slang has made their way into English in India and has become an accepted way of speaking. Don’t be alarmed if an Indian asks you for your “good name”. English the way spoken and understood in our country may seem alien to a foreigner. So it is quite common that a foreigner may be asked about his “mother tongues” another peculiar Indian adaptation or for a suitable “fooding and lodging”? The tendency of using progression in static verb is quite common; “I am understanding it”; “he is knowing the answer” are common examples. McDonalds have actually used this to their benefit with the very catchy phrase-“I’m loving it”!

Holy cow- The holy animal, the “kamdhenu”, (the holy cow), which is venerated in Hinduism, is ironically seen strolling in every street and market place. To a tourist, seeing a cow on the street equates to a truly Indian experience. And the occasional chaos created on a narrow busy street due to few cows ruminating in the middle of the road will mount to a truly blessed experience.

Colour fest-If one could take a bird’s eye view of any Indian bazaar, the sheer splendour of colours on display will make up for a dramatic sight. The shops selling local spices, local artifacts, bangles, flowers, fruits, chuskis(snow cones) and kurtis add every stroke of colour to the market place.

Street food- How can one walk through the streets of India and not be tempted by the array of aromas coming from every corner. The bazaars are full of temporary stalls and permanent shops selling treats throughout the day. Some of these local shops have even risen to the popularity of becoming a well known destination in itself. The parathe wali gali, the kebab street are, few such examples.

Jugaad/jugaar- What began as locally made motor vehicle used as a cost effective means of transportation in rural India had now become a concept. Jugaad in colloquial Hindi means an innovative fix or a solution which bends rules. Jugaad, today is also synonym with innovation. In India innovation is done by every farmer, transporter, trader, housewife and industrialist. It simply needs creativity and imagination to get out of any sticky situation. That’s Jugaad!

The local philosopher- It is said that, if you throw a pebble in India, it will land on a philosopher.The bazaars streets are also not in short supply with its share of thinkers. A local face (lalaji) often rises to the status of the local thinker. Young men from around the area often come to seek his view on popular subjects and his shop becomes the preferred evening rendezvous point.

The Chaat Wala- The bazaar of India will be incomplete without the most common attraction of them all, the chaat shop. Today their territory is invaded with competitors like momo shops sprawling everywhere. But the chaat still remains the best reason for any Indian to visit the bazaar.