Crowded and colourful with collections of every saleable item under the sun, markets are not only about ending the journey of buying up things but also rendezvous points with friends and family. Bazaars humming with activity make everyone happy, from merchants peering at the bottom line to economists predicting the fate of the country's future and buyers who head to the most happening markets for their unique discounts.
Here we have for you five souks of Mumbai.
Also known as Crawford market, it is officially called the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market in honour of the famed 19th-century social reformer and educationist. It was the first building in the country to receive an electric supply and has been the epicentre of retail since the days of the British. Very few people know that the fountain in the market, Kipling's Fountain, was worked on by John Lockwood Kipling, the father of Rudyard Kipling, author of 'Jungle Book'. John Kipling was the first dean of the acclaimed JJ School of Art. The fountain still stands, although it may be partially hidden behind crates of fresh produce. Though the market is closed on Sundays, you can spend the rest of the week here, buying to your heart's content, all the fruits, nuts and vegetables, that too at wholesale prices.
The shops in the crisscrossing lanes of Mangaldas market are famous for retailing all types of cloth that could be in existence. From linen and cotton to south silks, chiffon, raw silks, cotton-silk, Chanderi, and Banarasi, there are swathes of fabric, and prints, to choose from. Keep your eyes on your prize and your wallet.
You snooze, you lose. By 9 am, everything is over and done with at the Dadar flower wholesale market. Spread around and under the Dadar flyover, the fragrance of the market will reach you before the vibrant visuals take over. Retailers from the length and breadth of Mumbai and beyond come to buy from these wholesalers. Temple flowers, such as marigolds and roses, contend for space with tuberose, gerbera, orchids, gladioli, et al. An hour or more will quickly pass you by when you realise you have to stop taking photographs.
Named after the road it is settled on, this market has numerous shops that retail leather goods. Earlier, the tanneries of Mumbai were located here before they were ordered to move. Luckily for shoppers, the retailers stayed back, claiming to fulfil orders in less than three days. If you consider yourself a serious bargain hunter, you may find a designer leather bag or two.
When looking for trendy clothes and accessories, without hefty price tags, especially for women and children, travel no further than Hill Road. The pavements and stores overflow with outfits of every size, colour, fit, and material. From tee shirts, and jeans, to shorts, skirts, dresses, pyjamas, and everything in between, even footwear, can be bought here.
Think economical, think Alfa Market in Irla. Whether it is cosmetics, foreign chocolates, garments or electronics, this market has it all, that too in dedicated shops. So if you want to shop for electronics, you will head straight to the Alfa shop no. 5 and not get lost in the shoppers' maze. This is one place where you will not only get quality stuff, but value for money too.
In Mumbai, where Bollywood reigns supreme, everyone wants to look fashionable and the one place where you don't have to empty your pockets while you shop for clothes, shoes and bags is Fashion Street. From college-goers to office executives, everyone loves to shop at Fashion Street. One rule to remember is to bargain.