Everyday we talk some or the other thing linked to food; be it is the new café or the street fare, the choice of fine dining or simply “Ghar ka khana”, we can’t just live without ‘FOOD’- our ultimate savior and a universal experience that brings happiness 🙂 But it is not just which is being served on your plate. Before that there is a long journey.
People of Jaipur have its own set of food preferences based on the local flavors. Do you know beyond your favorite grocer there is a vast agricultural industry in Jaipur. For that we believe it is must to experience local life of your city especially the truly local mandis. Strolling around these markets, you can enjoy the happiness brought by various local products and the joys of grabbing some for your home too.
To believe, join us on an unusual journey on Friday evening and do shopping at the local Lal Kothi Sabzi Mandi at Tonk Road in Jaipur.
How many of you have actually been there?
Even if you have not been, there are some or the other persons of your family who must be in charge of getting veggies cause without that survival is not possible. Though today we all have an option to order vegetables while sitting at home through internet or through phone call, but we bet there is a lot of fun in hopping the vegetable market on your own. The sight of green fresh vegetable will make you drool.
On normal days, we end up buying vegetables/fruits from nearby vendors of our area but exploring the wholesale market of Lal Kothi, situated near Laxmi Mandi Cinema Hall has its own charm. Moreover, the prices at these shops are far cheaper as compared to those at the vegetable seller near your home and other places in the city.
On a routine day, tons of fresh fruits & vegetables arrive from Chomu. The shops are set up in paved streets. Most of the produce is kept in boris and is displayed for customers to see and choose.
As you reach there, you need to park your car at a distance and walk through the mandi street.
You will find that the mandi accommodates all big and small shopkeepers. There are ‘thelas’, even selling dry nuts, seasonal fruits, coconut water etc. Few of the shops are of permanent nature where you can’t reach to the counter especially the fruit sellers. There are again some shops with in your reach and you can buy standing at the counter. Some are covered with asbestos sheet, some with plastic or few others with ‘taat’. But the pleasure comes from buying from the one (we preferred the lady) who is sitting on the floor straight under the sky and where you are almost on the floor so that you can start picking up on your own fresh mint, coriander, some saags like spinach etc. She has limited vegetables to sell but while covering her head she will insist on selling some more vegetable to you.
There is just not one or two but lines of shops and everyone around will try to get your attention inviting you to have a look at his/her products calling you as Behenji/Bhaisaab/Bhabhiji. You feel like a VIP but also you don’t want to disappoint them so you keep moving as if searching for some really fresh stuff. At times, it’s fun to see some vegetables which are not used in your family like we found drum sticks.
When you are at mandi you are bound to fill your bags with kgs of vegetables so as to fill the stock for at least one week or more. The cheap prices is perhaps the reason that a vast majority of people are ready to experience “little” inconveniences of these crowded vegetable markets but getting everything under same roof is a benefit.
As the cars are parked far away it was not easy to carry that entire load in one trip.
And this was the time when we came to know that this is not the business place just for vegetable sellers but on another side there are males and females who do the job of carrying the load and dropping to your car. They will charge 10 rs. It’s like a blessing 😉
Busy sellers, weighing scales, filling bags and shopkeeper’s calculating the cost of produce purchased some calculating mentally and few using calculator, the rush of people is some sight to behold.
So from next Sunday, why not you also try to get your supplies from local and you can support them by simply doing what you already love – shopping
Moreover, just the sight of fresh green vegetables will be your instant mood enhancer also 🙂
Jaipur Beat 