Republic Day Trip to Chor

This past Wednesday we celebrated Republic Day here in India -- the ratifying of the Constitution in 1948. I joined two friends for a trip down to Chor Bazaar, a market that we have been to several times but never blogged about. It is a great place to leisurely spend an afternoon.

It takes about 40min by taxi to get to the market and you never quite know what to expect when you get dropped off. Since we don't really know the neighborhood well and we have gotten dropped off at several different street corners, we ended up asking directions to get to the main antiques area on Mutton Street, about three blocks filled with old stuff and new stuff made to look old. After already shopping a few times, my focus this time was to take pictures of the workers and shopkeepers. On my last venture to Chor with Waciuma, I ended up chatting with a few shop keepers extensively and enjoyed learning about their lives.

A few observations:

Most antique dealers seem to be Muslim, giving me a great opportunity to learn about some of the basics regarding a religion that I know little about. From a few different conversations, I enjoyed being enlightened to the truly diverse amount of types of Islam, on par with the various types of Christianity -- it's good to remember that Christianity encompasses groups such as the Eastern Orthodox Christians as well as the UCC Christians when viewing the diversity of Islamic groups.

Dealers are more apt to give you a "more fair" price when they see you coming back to their shop, demonstrating that you live here. When I walked down Mutton St. this past Wednesday I got a number of waves and "welcome back sir" comments. For a brief second, this made me feel like a local.

The concept of "first business" is important. The first sale a merchant makes for the day is a lucky one and often will allow you to bargain harder. Therefor, it is best to go around noon when the merchants have just finished tidying their front stoops and arranged their pieces properly to entice you into their shop.

The amount of stuff available is unbelievable, and possible illegal (many pieces MAY have been pilfered from mansions, temples, or churches). Many shops are simply unnavigable due to the overwhelming inventory. This makes it hard to find items but it also makes each visit to Chor unique. Having already purchased two pieces -- the buffet side table for my birthday and recently a teak wood carving of a family of Hindu Gods -- I know that I will always enjoy a trip to Chor and I hope to take you there one day!

Enjoy the pictures, Reid