We left pretty early today for yet another day filled with shopping. This time it was at a renowned older part of Kolkata known as New Market.
We took the subway, otherwise known as the metro here, which apparently happens to be the oldest one here in India. As it smoothly swerved through the metro line, I took a look outside to see an old city charm mixed with the modern twist of huge billboards and shopping centres and apartment buildings. As we neared our station, I quickly gathered our belongings and hopped out.
When we got to New Market, an ancient building loomed over us. Walking through it, endless rows of stalls holding sunglasses, watches, T-shirts, and kurtis enlightened my eyes. But the real magic didn't happen until we entered the greater area. A bustling market place surrounded me suddenly with vendors yelling at the top of their lungs "Notun bags!" (new bags) "Juto dekhoon!"(see these shoes). There were jewellery shops showcasing glittering bangles, earrings, and necklaces. A throng of colorful bags hung on hooks visible from miles away. The displays attracted customer creating mobs around each stall, not to mention the chaotic traffic of cars, and street animals in the narrow streets. We somehow managed to walk up the steps into the indoor market to see what more was in store for us.
New Market is a market place that is actually quite old, contrary to its name. It has been around since the British rule in India. Thus, there is a British influence in the infrastructure and some of the shops. There is a 110 year old bakery shop which holds some of the most unique sweets from cheese samosas, brownies, cakes, pastries, to fruitcakes. As I spoke with one of the shopkeepers, he said he was quite happy to be working in this place for many years. However, its reputation has been scarred over the years due to the lack of cleanliness and its remote location, which tends to drive customers away. If it was a bit more cleaned up, customers would not hesitate.
But from what I saw, it is definitely a happening place, especially amongst foreigners, as many Europeans flocked around certain shops. I made sure to fully enjoy this experience myself, by having some 'pav bhaji,' a popular street dish all over India. I managed to get a lot of footage for my vlog which I'll be posting later.
The night stretched on by shopping as much as possible, as the low costs and awesome collections are bound to attract any visitor to this unique marketplace!
We took the subway, otherwise known as the metro here, which apparently happens to be the oldest one here in India. As it smoothly swerved through the metro line, I took a look outside to see an old city charm mixed with the modern twist of huge billboards and shopping centres and apartment buildings. As we neared our station, I quickly gathered our belongings and hopped out.
New Market is a market place that is actually quite old, contrary to its name. It has been around since the British rule in India. Thus, there is a British influence in the infrastructure and some of the shops. There is a 110 year old bakery shop which holds some of the most unique sweets from cheese samosas, brownies, cakes, pastries, to fruitcakes. As I spoke with one of the shopkeepers, he said he was quite happy to be working in this place for many years. However, its reputation has been scarred over the years due to the lack of cleanliness and its remote location, which tends to drive customers away. If it was a bit more cleaned up, customers would not hesitate.
But from what I saw, it is definitely a happening place, especially amongst foreigners, as many Europeans flocked around certain shops. I made sure to fully enjoy this experience myself, by having some 'pav bhaji,' a popular street dish all over India. I managed to get a lot of footage for my vlog which I'll be posting later.
The night stretched on by shopping as much as possible, as the low costs and awesome collections are bound to attract any visitor to this unique marketplace!
No comments:
Post a Comment