User:Jahanvi Sodha/sandbox

Sunday Flea Market, Ahmedabad.[edit]

INTRODUCTION:[edit]

San Jose Flea Market

A flea market also known as swap meet is a type of market where people can sell or rent stock of any item they wish to. Second hand merchandise, antiques, used electronic items and basic products like clothes are main items in such markets. The word Flea market originates from the French marché aux puces, a name initially given to a market in Paris which spent significant time in pitiful second-hand merchandise of the kind that may contain fleas. The most punctual English utilize that the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary has discovered dates from 1922.

Ahmedabad which was recently declared as the “Heritage City”, the first heritage city of the nation, is also a leading city in terms of trade and commerce. One of the most important and intangible heritage of this city is the Sunday Flea Market organised on the banks of river Sabarmati under Ellis Bridge every Sunday. This Flea market is well-known in the city by the names “Ravivari Market” and “Gujri Bazaar.”

The Gujri Bazaar of Ahmedabad is a place where one man’s trash becomes another man’s treasure. This market caters a wide range of products. We can wish for any product and there are high chances that we will find that product there. The Gujri bazaar almost as old as the city itself is living heritage of the city in its true sense.

HISTORY OF FLEA MARKET:[edit]

Ahmedabad has always been a city with the ‘urban-rural continuum’ where on one hand we have the nomadic tribes and artisans while on the other hand we have contemporary urban societies. The roots of this invaluable segment of Ahmedabad culture ‘The Gujri bazaar’ or the Ravivari market, lie down 600 years back, in 1414 AD,when Sultan Ahmed shah-the founder of Ahmedabad had established it. Earlier it was known as the Khaas bazaar and was held on Fridays as Shukarvari bazaar from Teen Darwaza to the Bhadra taar office. In 1941,due to communal riots the market had been closed but after a few months it reopened near the Sidi Saiyed Mosque and later near the old civil court. Historic reports suggest that the location of this flea market had been changed thrice and in 1954,it eventually settled under Ellis Bridge where it is now till today.

Now, the Gujri bazaar is seen as the ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ of Ahmedabad. The Ravivari Bazaar of Ahmedabad beats the flashy malls of recent times, it is present when ahmedabad is the city of malls and it was present when Amdavad was Manchester of India due to the mill culture.

VARIETY OF PRODUCTS:[edit]

Furniture, attire and gadgets[edit]

The Sunday advertise has everything from a needle to skewer. In furniture you can spot seats, tables, PC tables and bunks arranged in a steady progression on the sides of the boulevards. Old and second hand pants, skirts and sarees are strewn over beds however they aren't excessively alluring, making it impossible to take a gander at. That separated, you will discover electronic things, PC parts and different contraptions here.

Collectibles[edit]

There are masterpieces, brassware, pots, gems boxes with perplexing cutting and out of date things that appear as though they have a place with some Mughal period. You may even discover the most startling things like gramophone records, uncommon coins, stamps, saxophone and so forth. In the event that you are sufficiently fortunate you may wind up owning some fascinating old fashioned pieces.

Books[edit]

As you push ahead, you will go to a place where you will discover merchants offering loads of books heaped up before them on the ground. This market is a fortune trove of second hand and old books running from theory, governmental issues, works of art, workmanship, writing, reference books et cetera. In the event that you are looking for uncommon books and magazines then this is the ideal place to visit in Ahmedabad.

Other products:[edit]

Other than the products mentioned above, there are tons of products which are available at the flea market including items like crockery, aluminium utensils, clothes, foot wears, animals like goats and certain birds are also available for sale. The flea market is a magic place nestled on a river bank that can provide a person with any item he desires.

FUNCTIONING STYLE OF GUJRI BAZAAR:

Gujri Bazaar is considered to be the living heritage of Ahmedabad. As it was established by Ahmed Shah only a few years after the establishment of Ahmedabad city, it is as old as the city and has been passed on from one generation of Ahmedabad to Another, thus proving its title of living heritage. Being heritage of this city, the flea market is regulated by the Heritage Department which falls under the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. The heritage department looks after the functioning of the flea market and its redevelopment from time to time. The spots at the flea market are distributed by the Heritage Department.

A random picture of the bazaar.

Gujri bazaar also known as Ravivari Market, as its name suggests, is a market that operates every Sunday with around 4000 customers visiting it every week. The customers range from lower income group coming over to buy everyday products like clothes to elite customers who come in to buy antiques and books. The Flea market remains open from 9 in the morning till 9 at night. Every Sunday morning, the vendors come with their products and arrange their products in most attractive way possible. With dozens of vendors selling the similar products, the competition is very high.

Almost all the products of the market are second-hand in nature. The vendors here get their supply mainly from Flea markets of Mumbai and Surat and also from second hand dealers and scrap dealers of the city.  If consumer wishes for a specific product (especially in case of antiques and second hand electronic items), they can contact the vendor and place order for the kind of product they desire and the vendor will arrange for it in a week and the consumer will get the item on the next Sunday.

As the bazaar caters items for each income group ranging from second-hand clothes for lower income group to rare antiques and books for the high income group, the prices here for some products could be really low. However for certain rare products with high prices bargaining proves to be an effective strategy.

BIBLIOPHILE TURNED BOOKSELLER:

One of the special features of the Sunday Flea Market, Ahmedabad is the presence of Mohammad Bhai. Mohammad Bhai, MA, BEd and Ex-principal of a school in Ahmedabad is now a bookseller in the flea market. With a strong hold over languages including English, Urdu, Hindi and Gujarati, he indulged himself into the business of bookselling in 2001 through the medium of Flea market.

Born to illiterate parents, Mohammad Bhai always had unconditional love for books. Despite being from a not so strong financial background, as a child he used to spend all his pocket money on books. He, during his tenure as an and educator and then principal, has taught to around 10,000 students. Finally after retirement his love for books led him to become a bookseller in 2001. He has broke down the notion of white collar job for educated people with his step of becoming bookseller and this act is truly inspiring for others.

Bookselling is not a business for him. He holds books to be sacred. Throughout the years, he has understood the state of mind of customers, and has learnt to brush away the individuals who don’t value the books". Subsequently, an extensive variety of signs and statements have been collected throughout the years, as a reaction to dealing customers. He trusts that one must purchase books with affection and truthfulness, generally not.

There is one sign which says, greedy eyes shall have never satisfied stomachs," and "No comments, No bargaining and No photos." However, every guest to the slow down requests some concession or other, and soon the "Go Away Bargainers" is shown by Mohammad bhai.

To the bargainers he may come across as rude and impolite, but for those who value books, Mohammed bhai will come across as a man with a wide range of knowledge of books. He is truly a distinct feature of the flea market and a highly regarded person among all the vendors at the flea market.