Lets embark on a rural safari like none other. How about a shopping safari? Not in a multi-brand mall but a no-brand rural market! The most vibrant and lively market of Jojawar.
The safari begins with a visit to the local Halwai - the sweetmeat vendor. Taste some Jalebis and Laddoos and get some packed for later. You may get lucky to watch him fry the Boondis (tiny balls of batter) for the Laddoos. These Boondis are then bound into bigger fist sized balls called the Laddoos. How they add sugar to these, is for you to witness yourself. The people here are most hospitable and will very happily not only showcase their talent but let you also try your hands at same.
The Stores
With the glucose in, and energy bubbling, lets now start walking the whole length of this marketplace which is barely a kilometre in stretch but will take you close to two hours to explore. The shops, as we said earlier are nothing too fancy but stock the daily needs for the locals here. The market has many vegetable and fruit sellers, spice shops, cloth bazaar, utensils, hardware store, cycle repair shops, potters, juti stores (the local footwear), jewellers, barber shops and most importantly the tea, sherbet and snack places. But what is most pleasing about this market is the people and their hospitality. You would be welcomed in every store by warm smiling faces whether you buy anything from them or not. Offering tea is also customary here.
Some kiosks keep plasticware and imitation jewellery and believe us these are the busiest shops drawing huge crowds from the local women. You will also meet lots of coy and demure ladies in the garment stores. The preference in this town is of cotton clothes all through the year with woollens filling the markets in winters but bling is the thing for festivities. We were lucky to meet a family that had come to shop for an upcoming wedding. The women sat inside the store and the men waited outside while the women chose what they were there to shop for. With veiled faces, they stealthily glanced at us and gossiped too ;). The energetic shop attendant happily displayed all the bling filled fabrics he had in his store. People here do not wear readymade clothes except for the children, but prefer buying the fabric and getting it stitched as per their liking. After a few clicks and many a giggles later, we moved on to the next store which was a Masala Chakki - spice grinder. Colourful mounds of various spices sat proudly in front of the shop accompanied by the proud shop owner, a woman who had an air of authority about her. Red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder are the primary spices that you would find at every Masala Chakki.
As I said earlier, the people here prefer getting their clothes stitched, each one is a fashion designer in their own sense. They buy the cloth and design it as per their choice and have it decorated with Gota (golden or silver lace like ribbons). There are many Gota sellers also along our market lane. They keep fancy buttons, zips and hooks too. The more creative ones buy the thread and the needle and embroider their garments themselves.
The simple life of rural India advocates the cause of repair and fixing over discarding. There are many cobblers and cycle repair shops in this market as people here do not believe in throwing things away, they believe in fixing things, using them till their optimum life and then discard them. Talk of recycle-sustain concept - it comes naturally to our village folk.
Come summers and the potters bring out their wares to sell. Every household has a “Matka” or “Ghada” for storing drinking water with a long handled ladle like “Ghanti” to pour water from. Calmly perched over a stand with a place for the “Ghanti” too, these Matkas can beat the modern day refrigerator any day with its capability of keeping the drinking water cool. When the temperatures soar higher, the Matkas get a wet gunny bag wrap to fight their way out.
The preferred footwear here is the Mojri or Juti made of camel leather. These keep the feet cozy and protected from harsh summers and blistering cold winters too. There are a few Mojri shops that dot our market and they make customised ones too. If you have a couple of days at hand, give them a design that they will happily embroider for you on your chosen pair. The skilled craftsmen make smart leather sandals and slippers too.
The one thing that we would definitely recommend to the souvenir collector is a piece of jewellery from the local jewellers - it could be anything from earrings to nose pins to bracelets to anklets or bangles. But do take a piece of silver jewellery from here for yourself for you would not find such beautiful craftsmanship anywhere else. People visit the local jeweller for their piercings too. The expert hands finish the piercing in just a second, before the person getting pierced even realises it. We caught the eye of a young boy who had come for his ears-piercing and as soon as he saw the camera, his anxiety vanished and he gave us a beaming smile! Men and women, both prefer their ears pierced while women also get their noses pierced too.
The People
The happy hospitable people of Jojawar are more than happy to even escort you through your market safari. You might meet a few jogis along the way. These are people who have renounced the material world and are living off the streets now. They aren’t poorly or in misery, they have taken the decision knowingly and are respected in the society, with many seeking their blessings.
The women are shy and do not speak to strangers but the elderly women will even joke with you in jest. Visiting the market is an event in the household and people dress up in all finery to go out. The women will always be seen wearing their traditional jewellery of nose rings, maang tikka, earrings, bangles, anklets and toe rings. Men too wear the traditional ear rings that are supported by beautifully crafted chains over the ear lobes. Never to leave homes without the fluorescent turbans, these men visit the local barber for a fine shave - talk of big town spas! 
What all do you carry when you leave home? Let us help you with the answer - wallet, car keys, home keys of course and your phone. What do people here carry when they leave home? Well, wallet of course but no credit cards, only cash, their home keys, no car keys and no phones (maybe one phone per family nowadays) and a few shopping bags! Yes, they do not need the hashtags of #saynotoplastic because they carry their own shopping bags, they bring steel buckets for milk and oil and they pick their snacks paper-wrapped. They shop for straw baskets to store their vegetable and fruit supplies.
While the visit will leave you mesmerised by how lovely the shopping experience is and how humble the people are, it will also leave you pondering as to how these people live in such a self sufficient organic environment. The products they use are all bio-degradable, be it the earthen pitchers or the camel leather footwear. Just a few plastic items only and maximum use of public transport or otherwise would prefer walking.
To sum it up : Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. Don’t we?
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