Asia

[Visited: March 2020]

After walking through narrow, clean streets with few people and a shop here and there, I come to a big intersection of roads full of traffic. After visiting Bangalore Fort, I see a string of street vendors offering vegetables and fruit. After walking past the stalls and clothes on the street, I cross over to the other side of the street where the actual market is established. Under the flyovers of the road above us, there is a chaotic collection of market stalls. A cow steals a bunch of grass, gets chased by a woman but is not impressed and mauls the entire bundle of food. When I reach the other side of the street, I see a large rectangular building: the main market. Outside, there is a multitude of people selling all kinds of things, and I feel I am getting closer to the real thing.
Krishnarajendra Market, also called City Market by locals, is considered to be one of the biggest of Asia (and think of it: that means something). While walking around the main building, the size is starting to dawn on me. Row after row of market stalls, vendors under umbrellas to be protected against the sun, vegetables neatly stacked up in piles. I come to a backside of the market, where men are unloading trucks, and take the goods to the stalls where they will be sold. Behind it: a pool of water with trash, and cows roaming around in search of something to eat, a very foul smell sending me back to the next section of the market. I find a lane with banana leaves for sale, and piles of coconuts. A line of carts stands next to the back entrance of the market building, ready to be used.
After walking around the building, I enter through the east entrance, where I find a different kind of goods. I see pyramids of colourful powders stacked, I see machinery, I see many other items, and then, I see people stringing together flowers into garlands. I walk the first floor of the market, with many more shops, some selling food, most selling ironware. Then, I reach an open space and look down, and am delighted to see a huge flower market. Enormous stacks of orange, white, purple flowers are formed by garlands which have been placed in circles. I see people stringing the garlands, others selling loose flowers. I stay for a long time: the view from above is perfect. When I finally go down one level and walk around the flower section, I get an even better idea of the size of the stacks. After exiting the Krishnarajendra Market building, I walk several side streets where i find knife sharpeners, locksmiths, and many other skilled professionals working on their niche market. I walk away with a feeling that I have still missed much of the market, even though I have walked around for more than two hours. Yes, this might very well be one of the biggest markets of the continent.

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Krishnarajendra Market (India)

Krishnarajendra Market > India > Asia

[Visited: March 2020]

Around the World in 80 Clicks