THARU DR AJAY KUMAR OJHA: "Khatiya Market" of Srinagar Jammu & Kashmir.

Thursday, July 13, 2017

"Khatiya Market" of Srinagar Jammu & Kashmir.

"Khatiya Market" of Srinagar Jammu & Kashmir

"Khatiya Market" is very popular and special weekly market of Srinagar Jammu & Kashmir. It is held on every Sunday.

The street vendors set up their stalls on charpoy or folding cot to sell their stocks and that is why the market is popularly known as "Khatiya Market". Some of the vendors who do not find the space to set up their charpoys, sell their stock on the edge of the road.

The weekly market stretches from Tourist Reception Centre (TRC)-Radio Kashmir to Polo View - historic Hari Singh High Street .

This market might have started as an alternative place of shopping for lower middle class families of Kashmir but it has, over the years, evolved as a parallel shopping space.

To begin with, vendors at the market sold the items which were either pre-used or rejected for some minor manufacturing defects. The items were imported from some foreign countries as well as from parts of India particularly Punjab.

However things have started to change at the market over the past couple of years and the market now does not appear to be a flea market.

Now the market has wide range of products to offer and that is why consumers have another option to explore, other than regular shops in Kashmir.

This Sunday Market, once a low cost flea shopping area , is turning out to be a shopping hot-spot for people of Srinagar and other adjoining areas.

(All the images are subject to IPR)