Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Jodhpur City - Back to the Bustle


After the tranquil time spent in the rural areas around the Bishnois villages, Jodhpur brought us back to the chaotic, colorful part of India. In the Sadar Market area, lots of buying and selling was taking place. Some were selling plastic containers, while others were rearranging their vegetables or brooms in hopes of attracting customers. Women selling bangles called to foreigners and locals alike, wanting to encourage them to try on a few. Fluorescent-colored turban materials were piled high in the “souk” area of the market. Shoes and leather slippers filled other shops. Glittering sari material draped in the front of stores, with groups of women sitting cross-legged inside, surrounded by piles of cloth. Near the entrance of the market, women were promoting a sale of 100 rupees for sari material, popular with tourists and some locals. Their children were even better salespeople, with tourists buying the cloth just to get rid of the persistent (or pesky) kids. Spice touts came up to tourists, encouraging them to visit their spice shop, the place to buy the “best spices in Rajasthan.” Due to the rains, the pavement was now a slippery muddy mess. This didn’t seem to deter many, with commerce continuing to go on as usual.

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