Day 7: Shopping and Ruins

I hadn't planned for a busy day because I was scheduled to teach the following day and there were a few things that I still needed to plan.

We had negotiated prices for a cab the night before, and our price was 1,000 rupees for the day, that is less than twenty U.S. dollars.  I know, a one way ride in a cab from an airport to a hotel is normally more than that.  With our host, we had developed a working itinerary which we would provide to the driver.

First up, the Sarojini Market.  We were told to devote several hours to the market; I don’t think that if we had spent the entire day here we could have seen everything.  There were food stands, vegetable carts, clothing, jewelry, almost anything.  Think American flea market, then make it as large you can imagine, then double it in size, and fill it full of people and that might give you an inkling about this market.

As I strolled through the market, trying to get my bearings, I was greeted by numerous hawkers wandering around with sunglasses, tablecloths, or handkerchiefs for sale.  These people, who looked like pre-teens, would pester you until they were distracted by someone else.  But, I had watched how the locals got rid of them, they would make a shooing motion with their hand, say a firm no (without an explanation), and walk away.  Ignoring them didn’t work they would only get more persistent. They were ever present; every time I would round a corner there would be another batch of young people selling the same items.  It was like a game, dodging them.

But for the shopping, it ranged from plowing through tables of merchandise in the sweltering New Delhi heat to well maintained air conditioned stores.  Sometimes they had my new favorite sign, “Fixed Price”.  For those that are aghast that I would dare to pay the full price in the market, please remember that I haven’t mastered the art of haggling and even though the signs said fixed price that didn’t mean that the price couldn’t be dropped.  There were t-shirts for a little over a dollar and dress shirts for under four dollars, both fixed price.  

People were everywhere, looking for bargains.  But for me, it wasn’t just the heat, or the crowds, but the fact that if I mentioned a color or an item all of a sudden the over eager vendors would be thrusting numerous items at me pointing out the wonderful qualities.   It was too much for me, I don’t like large crowds and I like to meander and browse taking my time before making decision and this was full contact shopping.

I was able to buy fabric but this was unlike fabric shopping at home, where I wander throughout the bolts of material comparing fabrics, colors, and costs.  Instead I mentioned a color to the salesman and all of a sudden three bolts appeared on the table in two different directions and before I could even make a decision more and more fabrics were thrust in front of me.  It was almost overwhelming trying to make a decision.  I had sensory overload.

Underwear buying on the street.

Afterwords we went back to Hauz Khas, we walked through the narrow lanes past all of the store fronts until we reached the back fence and walked through the gate into the Hauz Khas complex.  After the crowds, the heat, and the pavement of the shopping area - this was bliss.  There were trees, grass, a lake, and for me, ruins.  

Building was begun at the complex in the 1200s.  It housed a madrasa (a Muslim school and seminary), tombs, water reservoir, and a village.  Some of the buildings are intact but others are in ruins.  The area is fenced off with large apartments overlooking the village remains. 

Just being in contact with the needed shade of the trees and the breeze coming of the lake was wonderful and refreshing. I was thrilled that I was allowed near ruins that were more than a half a century old and seeing the wonderful workmanship of the carvings and imagining how someone with only hand tools could create such beauty.

These two different activities helped me to see the complexities of modern India.  India has a thriving commerce sector filled with all types of retail outlets yet just around the corner are these elegant temples and ruins from the past.  History coexists with the present in India which shapes decisions for its future.