Evenings we go to the subji market. It is the local vegetable market. The vegetables are sold at the make shift place, a decadent place where there is a lot of stagnant water and all kind of vegetable and other wastes heaped in places and being removed at time, don't know to where.
These huge vehicles like tractors and tippers or trucks and mini-trucks are all seen from time to time. The stagnant water attracts the seasonal birds and little white storks which have lost their sheen and colour due to the filth and the filthy water.
Yet, near all that most of the poor people, and the general public reach for their vegetables which are seasonal crops brought from the wholesale market (mandi) which is also near by.
The whole3 sale mandi works in the early mornings where as the retail sellers work in the evenings to sell of their wares. Once, the evening is around, people start pouring in after their daily work to buy a few vegetables for the day and the day next. The market being a make shift one, work only on three days of the week and people also buy only on those three days generally. Everything in the village is done generally. The vendors are generally poor, less educated but good at the art of selling their wares.
They call out, shout out the prices, coax and cajole the buyers, give in to bargain, which they have a knack of doing with useful customers and ultimately settle for a mutually agreed price without being very offensive. Even though they siit next to a lot of much, the vegetables are fresh always. The same vegetables will be highly priced if we approach a mall, where going itself is tedious! Here, the weekly or bi-weekly market offers the vegetables at you walking distance from the house and every body prefer it.
Mothers know which vegetables to be bought when, and they get a chance to select their requirements from the local vegetable market, which they keep as a great thing to have. In the cold, when the man of the house and the children of the family arrive after a hard day's work and schools and colleges, it is the mother's wish to serve them with some hot food ! For that they need good vegetables which is available in the local market.
What ever that may be, the cleanliness of the market remains an eye sore all the while. May be the Panchayat or the local self governments may change them in the years to come, as we are said to be making rapid progress in all fields!!
People in the market and those visiting for vegetables are quite unconcerned about all that. Mostly ladies go for the vegetables and rarely any of them make a complaint of the surroundings! That is the greatness of our people. The extent to which they suffer! They only look for the cheaper vegetables. Olden times, vegetables were plenty and it was the prerogative of the ladies visiting to select most of the vegetables. No more now. The dealer or seller will take them random, weigh it and give it to you. But bargaining is still there. There is a small idea of keeping a scale on a slightly slanted position etc. is there, but hardly make much difference.
A new system which has slowly creep in is at times the sellers colouring the vegetables to resemble very fresh vegetables! Another is putting green lights especially as CFL lights are available, most of them light up a cfl lamp in green ! You will be stupified by its green light which falls on the green vegetables and will give the impression the vegetable is green. But all that can't fool the seasoned buyers who are also knowledgeable and adept at these arts generally attempted by the vegetable sellers.
These huge vehicles like tractors and tippers or trucks and mini-trucks are all seen from time to time. The stagnant water attracts the seasonal birds and little white storks which have lost their sheen and colour due to the filth and the filthy water.
Yet, near all that most of the poor people, and the general public reach for their vegetables which are seasonal crops brought from the wholesale market (mandi) which is also near by.
The whole3 sale mandi works in the early mornings where as the retail sellers work in the evenings to sell of their wares. Once, the evening is around, people start pouring in after their daily work to buy a few vegetables for the day and the day next. The market being a make shift one, work only on three days of the week and people also buy only on those three days generally. Everything in the village is done generally. The vendors are generally poor, less educated but good at the art of selling their wares.
They call out, shout out the prices, coax and cajole the buyers, give in to bargain, which they have a knack of doing with useful customers and ultimately settle for a mutually agreed price without being very offensive. Even though they siit next to a lot of much, the vegetables are fresh always. The same vegetables will be highly priced if we approach a mall, where going itself is tedious! Here, the weekly or bi-weekly market offers the vegetables at you walking distance from the house and every body prefer it.
Mothers know which vegetables to be bought when, and they get a chance to select their requirements from the local vegetable market, which they keep as a great thing to have. In the cold, when the man of the house and the children of the family arrive after a hard day's work and schools and colleges, it is the mother's wish to serve them with some hot food ! For that they need good vegetables which is available in the local market.
What ever that may be, the cleanliness of the market remains an eye sore all the while. May be the Panchayat or the local self governments may change them in the years to come, as we are said to be making rapid progress in all fields!!
People in the market and those visiting for vegetables are quite unconcerned about all that. Mostly ladies go for the vegetables and rarely any of them make a complaint of the surroundings! That is the greatness of our people. The extent to which they suffer! They only look for the cheaper vegetables. Olden times, vegetables were plenty and it was the prerogative of the ladies visiting to select most of the vegetables. No more now. The dealer or seller will take them random, weigh it and give it to you. But bargaining is still there. There is a small idea of keeping a scale on a slightly slanted position etc. is there, but hardly make much difference.
A new system which has slowly creep in is at times the sellers colouring the vegetables to resemble very fresh vegetables! Another is putting green lights especially as CFL lights are available, most of them light up a cfl lamp in green ! You will be stupified by its green light which falls on the green vegetables and will give the impression the vegetable is green. But all that can't fool the seasoned buyers who are also knowledgeable and adept at these arts generally attempted by the vegetable sellers.
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