J U N E ISSUE
FROM THE FIELD
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STO RY O F G O L D C OV E R STO RY | PAG E 0 5
L I F E O N M A N D I R R OA D PAG E 0 5
LEARNING FROM T HE F I E L D PAG E 1 2
I N S I DE A H M E DA BA D ’ S L A R G E ST B O O K M A R K E T PAG E 2 4 From the Field 1
2 From the Field
Content Page 5
Story of Gold Dony Jose
Page 12
Life on Mandir road Aditiya Krishna
Page 17
Learning from the Field Bhoumik Nagar
Page 21
Inside Ahmedabad largest’s Book Market Abhijeet Jadav
From the Field 3
Story of Gold
COVER STORY
About
India’s second largest jewelry market By Dony Jose
The design does not exist in isolation. It is absolutely essential for a designer to understand fully the social, cultural, and physical environment in which his/her design has to operate so that the design has a meaning/ relevance to people. Learning from the field course is an opportunity for the student designers to step out of their comfort zones / familiar environments and try and understand/study a new environment, various elements that make up an environment, and factors that influence the existence of people in any given space and interrelationships of various kinds that exist in that environment like human to human, human to objects, objects to spaces, materials to objects and so on.
From the Field 5
COVER STORY
Ahmedabad Heritage Walk 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.
Swaminarayan Temple, Kalupur Kavi Dalpatram Chowk Lambeshwar Ni Pol Calico Dome Kala Ramji Mandir Shantinathji Mandir, Haja Patel Ni Pol Kuvavala Khancha, Doshivada Ni Pol Secret Passage, Shantinath Ni Pol Zaveri Vad Sambhavnath Ni Khadki Chaumukhji Ni Pol Astapadji Derasar Harkunvar Shethani Ni Haveli Dodiya Haveli Fernandez Bridge Chandla Ol Muharat Pol Ahmedabad Stock Exchange Manek Chowk Rani no Haziro Badshah no Haziro Jami Masjid
Manek Chowk Ahmedabad is a place that everyone should visit for a variety of reasons. The city is vibrant and alive, and there are several tourist attractions including forts, temples, and mosques. Then there’s the allure of Gujarati street food favorites like gathiya, fafda, and thepla, which are practically tempt6 From the Field
ing. Another incentive to visit Ahmedabad, or any city in Gujarat, is that the state is known for its textiles and handicrafts. Manek Chowk, Ahmedabad’s city plaza, is one such location that provides all of these amenities. During the day, this market transforms into a vegetable market in the early morning, a jewelry market during the day, and a bazaar at night turns into a food street.
History of Manek Chowk
Manek means “ruby” in English, and Manek Chowk was named after Saint Maneknath. According to legend, when Ahmedabad’s founder, Emperor Ahmad Shah I, sought to establish a new capital “Bhadra Fort” in 1411, he was prevented by Maneknath. Baba Maneknath wove a mat
COVER STORY
About
Manek Chowk It is India’s second-largest jewelry market, where you may buy gold and silver trinkets during the day. After 9.30 p.m., the area transforms into a foodie’s heaven. Ahmedabad was structured and arranged in such a way that this plaza was traditionally the city hub for precious metals and gems. Manek Chowk still has some of the city’s ancient jewelry stores. Despite the city’s embrace of modern-day commercial routes such as malls and showrooms, Manek Chowk remains the heart of Old Ahmedabad and a favored shopping destination for locals and visitors
Food at
Manek Chowk
It is India’s second-largest jewelry market, where you may buy gold and silver trinkets during the day.
during the day and unraveled it at night while the fort’s walls were being erected.The fort’s walls miraculously collapsed one day, and Ahmad Shah assumed it was due of the saint. He persuaded Baba Maneknath to demonstrate his abilities by entering a little jar, and when he did, Ahmad Shah sealed the container and buried it. According to another account of the story, it is said that it was Baba Maneknath
As night sets, this market transforms into a food market with vendors serving great Gujarati street cuisine, and the best thing is that you may eat here until one a.m. Kulfi, bhaji pav, various dosas, and sandwiches like the pineapple and ghoogra sandwich are popular here. Regular customers rave about the Jamun shots and Gwalior dosas served here. The market solely sells vegetarian fare. If you like Pav Bhaji, you should try it at the Mahalaxmi Pavbhaji Centre, and don’t forget to try the chocolate sandFrom the Field 7
COVER STORY
wich. As strange as it seems, hot chocolate sandwiched between pieces of bread is actually a distinctive delicacy. If it isn’t enough to satiate your chocolate hunger, try the chocolate pizza.
Ahmedabad Stock Exchange
Ahmedabad Stock Exchange or ASE was the second oldest exchange building in India located in the city of heritage city Ahmedabad in the western part of the country. The first stock exchange in Ahmedabad was established in 199 A.D. for which the building was constructed here. The Stock Exchange business was introduced to India by the British: Th was the first Stock Exchange building in Ahmedabad builtin a true colonial style and spirit. As the prefix, ‘Old’ denotes the stock exchange activity is no longer carried out here. However, the rich and splendid colonial architecture, though a little discordant in the vicinity of the traditional style of Ahmedabad, serves as a reminder of the glorious architectural style of the Victorian era. The equities were sold on the stock market using a passbook, and the sold stock was recorded in the passbook. 8 From the Field
“It is India’s second-oldest stock exchange. It used to be a very busy place. The place has so much heritage and stories to tell”
COVER STORY
People of
Manek Chowk The Manek Chowk is a place that is full of people all the time the day. The place doesn’t sleep literally. If you categorize the people of Manek Chowk, can be divided into 5 categories.Gold&Silver MerchantsWeighing LaboursFood vendors Customers Gold & SilverMerchants Manek Chowk is known for its Gold and Silver Business. It is been a place for the transaction of Precious metals from the start of the Manek Chowk. The name Manek means Ruby. 5 tonnes of Silver sales happen daily in Manek Chowk. Manek Chowk is the go-to place for the People of Ahmedabad to buy Gold and Silver. The Gold & Silver business of Manek chowk can be categorized This are main two business factors in theRetail Business Wholesale BusinessManek Chowk’s shops are divided into two sections, one for retail and the other for wholesale. Manek Chowk is the go-to place for the People of Ahmedabad
weight they carry from shops. They carry the load from the shops to shops, dbsvdshops to the weight center (Shri Choksi Mahajan) Mahajan)hcshcshvchjsThe Labour also carry gold and silver bars from escorted security vans to the shops. The labours currently working are the 5th generation of the family. Most of the labours working are been working in Manek Chowk for more than one decade. In total there is 250 labour in Manek Chowk.
“They are the most trustworthy people that you will find anywhere.”
Labour
of Manek chowk is the main person who helps in transporting the Gold and Silver from one place to other. The labour in Manek chowk are marwadi people from Rajasthan and they been working here forages.SatwaraHemant GovindlalShriChoksi Mahajan Labour carries up to 6kg of Gold or Silver. They receive Rs40 to Rs70 depending on the From the Field 9
Labour is an integral part of the working of the Manek Chowk.
Weighing
Gold and Silver is one of the main aspects that you can see in Manek Chowk. Shri Choksi Mahajan is a Trusted body that is been doing the weighing for 126 years it is a govt authorized trust. Shri Choksi Mahajan is run by a governing body consisting of the President of the trust, Secretary, Treasury, and board members. They charge
Market are a must-see if you want to see how a place can transform into something completely different in a matter of hours.
Customers
Rs15 for 10kg Gold/Silver
in Manek Chowk range from those who come to buy gold and silver wholesale and retail from the jewelers in Manek Chowk to those who come to buy vegetables in the morning and those who come to buy mouth fresheners and dry fruits. Customers come at night to eat food from the food vendors. The customer base in Manek Chowk changes depending on the time of day.
Rs30 for 30kg Gold/Silver
Weighing proces
Rs5 for 5kg of Gold/Silver
There are other small scales weighing people for the small amount of gold and silver less than 100gm Manek Chowk Food Vendors and the Food 10 From the Field
is an essential part of the gold and silver trade in Manek Chowk. Shri Choksi Mahajan is a government-approved trust that performs the weighing process in Manek Chowk. The trust was
founded in 1896. The Choksi weighs gold and silver in increments of 5kg to 30kg. They have developed over time. Previously, the weighing was done with brass weights, but now it is done with a digital weighing scale. The weights are made using brass and the weight on the left is 5kg and the right weight is 10kg. The weight was used in olden times now the weighing right now is been done using a digital scale. The customer comes to the choksi to double-check the weight of the gold or silver weights. After the weighing is done the customer gets a receipt with the exact weight of the gold or silver. The receipt is an authorized certificate by the govt which can be used anywhere in India.
COVER STORY
Transportation of Gold and Silver
The only time a security guard will be present in Manek Chowk is when gold and silver are being transported. There is no security guard in any jewelry store. The majority of the gold and silver come from Dubai and Delhi. The gold/silver arrives at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport and receives its DO (delivery order), after which it is transported directly to the customer who ordered it in guarded security vans. The gold is removed from the van by labourers in the presence of staff from the logistics company that delivered the gold or silver and a security guard to assist the labour. The transportation process occurs several times. Typically, gold/silver transportation takes place in the afternoon. The gold/silver is delivered to the jewelers who placed the order. The gold/silver is delivered to the jewelers who placed the order. Gold is typically sold in 100gm bars in a black box containing 10 pieces. For large orders, silver is available in 3kg bars as well as 100gm bars. Every day, 5 tonnes of silver arrive at Manek Chowk. These precious metals are transported with extreme caution. People’s trust in one another is palpable.
People behind the weighing
Satwara Hemant Govindlal, who has been working in Manek Chowk for ten years, manages Shri Choksi Mahajan,Manek Chowk. Hemant Bhai is the person who signs the yellow receipt issued after the gold or silver is weighed. Amrash Bhai, who has been with Choksi for 30 years, assisted Hemanth Bhai. E BY Dony Jose Story of Gold.
From the Field 11
L I FE ON M AN DI R ROAD
BY ADITIYA KRISHNA
Our second task for the course was to document a part of the walk in detail with respect to a particular topic. It could be architecture, signages, how people move or interact, history of a certain area etc. Our visit to the field were supposed to be for one entire week everyday to study our areas of documentation. Day 2, We met at the Swaminarayan mandir for our morning briefing. We all walked the path of the heritage walk again to figure out our topics. Some paced the path quickly figuring out what to do and some took their time to come up with something. Some people like me, made multiple trips to think of something. Every time, we saw new people, noticed some new shops and had new conversations with the passerby. Day 3, We started again at Swaminarayan mandir, when I thought that the mandir road itself was so full of activities. Our journey for two days had been full of meeting new people but these shopkeepers at the mandir road were constant faces we saw each and every morning, These people looked like a part of a stage that is the mandir road. Each one entering the play at their time and playing their part to serve the people coming to the Swaminarayan mandir. They sat at the same places everyday and did the same role again and again, like characters of a story. 9 Poonam is one of the first people to arrive at the mandir road with her cart of fresh vegetables. Poonam seems like a strong young woman who does not shy away from calling out to customers with her scratchy voice to make them buy from her. Her customers are mostly permanent buyers who only buy from her. She is generous with chilis that she gives to the people who buy from her. She seemed strong to me since I saw her shooing away monkeys who were trying to steal from her. I would have ran from there. Beating a metal plate with a cucumber was fun to watch though.
O
From the Field 13
M
Munna is the scariest person in the
street. With a full beard and intense look, Munna is a seller of Kaeri of different varieties, which is a seasonal fruit. He also sells a fruit called Goonda. He gets his fruits from the Kalupur mandi which gets delivered to him in boxes on tempo. Munna also comes early in the morning with cart which he painted blue by himself and is the
most attractive cart in the street. He spends early hours of this sales time preparing the mangoes. He sits in the shade of his cart and cuts the Kaeri into different parts as per their usage. Kesari, a type of Kaeri, is cut into 3 different parts - seed, seed covering and the fruit. The outer fruit is cut into pieces which people buy and make it as achaar. Munna also separates an inner seed from its covering. People buy these seeds dry it in the sun and then add masala to enjoy it as a
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snack. The seed covering is then disposed off in the nearby dustbin by him. He uses a metal machete like bladeattached to wooden board to cut theKaeri which he cleans after using withwater that he fills from the mandir. This water is also used for drinking andprinkling over mangoes to keep them fresh.Munna puts a lot of effort for his sales and even refused to talk to me duringbusiness hours. He packs his items inpolythene to his customers even though they have got their cloth bag but that is the case with most vendors here. Mostof his customers are elderly men and women. But on further observation I realised he speaks to all his customers in an strict tone of voice which does not lead to good sales. I was later informed by Rajesh that Munna is a avid drinker.
R
Rajesh is a broom seller who-
camps from 3 in the afternoon to 8 in the evening. Rajesh is a single child to his father who also did the business of selling brooms at the same street for 20 years. Rajesh who also told me about Munna’s drinking habit, was major sources of information about people in the street. Rajesh is continuing his father’s business of broom at the mandir road. He arrives after 3 in the afternoon on his TVS moped. With 40-50 broom attached in the back. He spreads a tarpaulin sheet and sits with brooms of various sizes. The different sizes are to assist the different style of brooming. Rajesh brings the grass for the broom from a godown who imports the grass from Assam. He then bundles 50-60 sticks of grass into one broom. Using a plastic ribbon to tie them together. He then tapes the end of the broom with brown tape on the spot when the buyers are satisfied looking at the broom. His technique of wrapping the tape was kind of live workshop in the middle of the street. The taping around the
broom created a tearing sound of the tape which also acted as a callout sound to buyers stating that he is there. He runs a small business and also does a small level of branding by sticking a stickers at the handle of the broom with his number. He also home delivers the brooms to his customers. 13 He often spends his time at the street talking to the different vendors. One fine evening I saw him talking to an elderly lady who lives in the house behind his spot. She also sometimes puts up her temporary shop of soaps and oils, which Rajesh informed me is something she doesn’t do always, it was one of rare occassions when she supports her daughters MLM schemes. Rajesh also informed me about Amrit, another vegetable vendor on the mandir street. His cart was always surrounded by customers. I wondered why, to which Rajesh answers that Amrit’s vegetables are the most fresh. He gets them from Jamalpur mandi.
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B
Besides Poonam, Munna, Rajesh
andAmrit’s shops the street is filled withother similar kind of vendors who had different stories. Similarily like vendors, different spots on the street also had different stories. Like this space near alley towards Kavi Dalpatram chowk. The space that is the least noticeable in the day and in the afternoon because they are simply justsignages and utility box, is transformed into a pop up bag shop in the evening. The vendor makes use of a cloth line and some hooks to magically transform the neglected space into an exhibition. Adjacent to the utility box is a staircase of an abandoned shop which stays shaded during the entire day. That place becomes a resting space for many people and sometimes even for the street dogs. There are other multiple different activities that take place during the entire day. Like, a) You can sometimes see men siting at the corner tea shop sharing the happenings of the day or news with each other. Sharing videos or watching them together. b) Boys just sitting idle on their bikes waiting for their friends to join. c) It is evident that people come out more in the evening for their daily shopping of vegetables because that is when the heat is more bearable for them to come out. d) In the evening, kids started to accompany their parents and grandparents to the street. You see more kids in the evening than in the morning. Probably because they have school then. e) Other mobile vendors started their business in the evening hours like a person who sold paneer into cut pieces, kulfi wala who attracted the kids very much, f) For women who spend most of their time at homes, coming to the street also becomes their social time with each other. E BY ADITIYA KRISHNA Life on Mandir Road.
16 From the Field
LEARNING FROM THE FIELD BY BHOUMIK SUTHAR
MANEK CHOWK The word Manek means Ruby (A pink-ish red to blood-red colored gemstone) and Manek Chowk has been named after Saint Maneknath. Legend has it that when Emperor Ahmad Shah I, who was the founder of Ahmedabad, wanted to build a new capital “Bhadra Fort” in 1411, it was Baba Maneknath who had helped the emperor Ahmed Shah I in building the Bhadra Fort. It is the second-largest jewelry market in India and you can buy your gold and silver trinkets from here during the day. After 9.30 in the night, the place turns into a food paradise. Ahmedabad was designed and planned in such a way that this square was traditionally the city-center for trading precious metals and gems. Some of the old jewelry shops of the city still exist in Manek Chowk. It remains the center of Old Ahmedabad and is a favorite among locals and tourists alike for shopping. night, the place turns into a food paradise.
PARKING AREA Manek chawk is a multi functional space. It’s a congested place and people visiting or living in the place utilize the space well. Remaining food grains spread on the street of Manek chowk from the late night food stalls, the space turns into feeding space for Pigeons in the morning. In the morning the car parking space turns into a cow feeding area. The cow from the Manek area gets feed by the Shepherd.
The Shepherd brings the grass from the home with the help of a bicycle. The people passing by the Shepherd like Employees or Pilgrims pay money (how much they wish to give) to the cow man and buy the grass and feed the cows. The Shepherd kept a round tin box for him to sit and also to keep the tools like a cutter to cut the grass into small pieces. Around 11 am the space started to fill with bikes from the shop owners and customers, the space turned into parking space. From the Field 17
front of the shops and kept it in such a way that one water bottle can be used at a time. They keep the tap portion outside and remaining bottles inside.
ADAPTATION OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY
STEEL FRAME: The shop owners use steel frames to block the opening area of the shop to prevent the space from parking. Some shop owners kept the frame inside the shop or some kept outside the shop and locked them to keep it safe.
DRINKING WATER
Every morning at 9 am the water man comes and keep the water bottles at the gates of the jewelry shops. Water for everyone: In the summer heat of Ahmedabad the water is the essential elements . Some jewellery’s shops buy 1520 cans of water for the public (Including the stall ownersThey kept a bunch of water bottles in 18 From the Field
Air Conditioning: The Manek chowk was build around 1400 and at that time there was no air conditioning and the shops were not designed accordingly. The AC compressors were kept hanging outside or merged with the name board of the shop. Security: There are no CCTV cameras inside the jewelry shops as the place is secure because the Space is live all day. From morning to late night the space is busy. But due to changing times there are few cameras outside the shops.
NAME BOARDS Every Board has a word-mark/ Letter-mark written in Gujarati and very few Boards are in English. Because they were built for local people and the buildings were old and at that time this place was not famous and no tourists were there. So they were not designed in multilingual. And also due to the second
largest jewelry market the number of tourist increased so few board were changed to multilingual.
STORAGE AREA The food stall owner keep the chairs and table inside the Baba Manek Temple. So that it is easy and fast to set up the sitting place in the evening.
All the stalls have the same kind of structure like canvas shed, steel pipe frames tied with steel wire or cotton laces. All the stalls having carts keep the umbrella and extra goods below the cart. E BY Bhoumik Suthar Learning from the field.
The Tables and chair are used as a common for all the food stalls. They collectively bring it from the store room to the food chowk. It shows the team unity and team work. Rest other thing they bring daily from their godown & home with the help of the cart or auto rickshaw. Types Of Tables and Chair: 1. Foldable Steel Tables 2. Plastic Tables and Chair
TEMPORARY STRUCTURES All the stalls in the manek chowk or street are temporary structures. Which is easy to set up, mobile and easy to carry i.e, light weight. Types of stalls 1. Vegetables Stall 2. Fruit Stall 3. Mufwas (Mouth Freshener) 4. Towel Seller 5. Pani Puri Stalls 6. Food Stalls 7. Kulfi - Ice Cream From the Field 19
Book Market
INSIDE AHMEDABAD’S LARGEST BOOK MARKET BY ABHIJEET JADAV
T
he Fernandes Bridge connects readers with writers, students with publishers and curious beings with the age-old answers they’re looking for. The Chopda Bazaar of Fernandes Bridge is one of the oldest Book Markets in Ahmedabad that serves thousands of people who flock every day in search of used and new books. The place where the market is situated today was actually a river route of Maitrai River, which went dry with the span of time. The Fernandes Bridge was extended by the ‘British Raaj’ in order to extend the Gandhi Road and has been in existence since 1884 AD. The businesses are heirloom and shops on the road side stalls are more than 100 years old now. People have spent their life span as a book seller here. 20 From the Field
Even in the hustle and bustle of traffic and crowd, you will find a strange calmness, which is out of this digital world. A sudden nostalgia will strike as you experience the joy of old school books buying. It is totally different from the current condition, where a sophisticated bookkeeper with crisp shirt will be handing over the book to you in an air-conditioned book store To get a micro picture and the understanding of how these book sellers manage and run this market I further explored this place from various aspects of time, activities, finances and record keeping of huge book piles, types of books, seller-buyer relationship and the people here. Micro study
Book Market
A view of the book market situated under the Fernandes Bridge, while coming from the Pol and Ol sides of the city.
Micro Study
To carry a micro study of the book market, I visited the market at two different times in the day mainly early morning and then evening and recorded my observations around various activities happening around this space. The approach was to visit, observe, speak to people, and also recording the process and practices adopted by the book sellers to manage the business.
Market spread: The book market is mainly spread along Gandhi Road and Fernandes Bridge. Specifically it is a narrow road that connects the path that further leads to Manek chowk and the other end which emerges from the ols. (Residential + Commercial)
Type of shops: The book market is a specific part of larger Kagadi bazaar (Kagad=Paper) and thus a variety of shops and businesses can be found here. As seen, type of shops that are mainly present here are:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Old and New Book stalls (Temporary & Permanant) Tea stalls Religious material suppliers Party decor supplier stores Wholesale stationary stores. Toy stores From the Field 21
Book Market
SCENE @7:30am, Fernandes Bridge The market is quite and Vacant. All the shops and stalls are yet to open.The temporary shops/ street stalls still hold the same place overnight. All the bookpiles have been wrapped very well using a thick blue thread and Polysheets/canvas of blue and black colour. Since the market is empty mostly, cars, loading rickshaws seem to pass from here unlike the other busy timings of the day. A 55-60 yrs man was seen distributing Nimbu-mirchi for the stores to keep the shops away from evil energies. Another two guys can be seen distributing flower packets and Drinking water Cans/Jars. This is almost Half hour before most of shops open, and thus all of these materials have been kept either on the book piles or on the steps in front of stores. A Tea stall is already active in this area to serve any passer by and the stall owners who are here to start with their day. People can be seen reading Newspaper, sipping Tea, chatting with eachother.
SCENE @8:30am, Fernandes Bridge The market is slowly getting active. Initially as seen, small shop/stall owners have reached early before any of permanant store owner. As they reached the site, they quickly get into setting up for the day. It starts with Brooming the space around the stall, unwrapping the polysheets around the book piles. Some of them can be see offering prayers and flowers to god. By 9:00am the market is 70% active as more stall owners and permanant shop owners reach and
SCENE @6pm, Fernandes Bridge After a hot day of summer, shoppers seem to step out on the streets and there is a significant inrease in the crowd in the market. It even gets tougher since vehicles also keep passing. The sun has set and its about to get dark, but as observed, there are no provision of any light source that can be used to lit up the book market under the bridge. Its very dark and the stall owners are mainly waiting for the street light under 22 From the Field
Book Market
the bridge to be lit, which lights up at around 7:15 pm everyday. One of the Stall owner was seen binding and repairing the torn books in order to extend its life before any of the custormers would buy it. By 8:30pm-9:00pm the market is about close and the stall owners can be seen wrapping up for the day. They wrap the pile fo books with the polysheets and tie it with ropes. The stal owners also try to maintain a record of sold and purchased books which again helps them to understand what to stock up and what not to. The market starts closing 9:15 onwards.
Upon discussing about the situation during pandemic and also during off seasons like vacations of education institutes, the sellers shared that they do have parallel other business of binding jobs and Paper scraping. Most of the stall owners have been in the business for years. Some of them have almost spent their lifetime around this book market and are very skilled at maintaining records in two ways i.e traditional book keeping and memory. They are so sharp about the stock they have, that they can help you find a particular books in as less as 1 minute quick. I found that the oftenly transactions here are bartered. Its a continuous , two way and seasonal transaction between stall owner and the customer. People many times, Buy-use-Resell the books as per convenience and need. This also strengthens the bond between the customer and seller, and many of them are recognized as regular custromers. Pricing for every book varries based on lot of factors. but the three major ways a book is priced in
Types of books Upon surveying and speaking to the stall owners majorly the books that are in demand are :
1. Competitive Exam Books 2. School-college Academia 3. Religious books 4. Festival publications 5. Novel and General reading. From the Field 23
Book Market
Visual Sequence: Setting up for the day
Here is a 4 step visual sequence of how a stall is unwrapped and is set for the day. To keep the books safe from dust, water and the yellowing of pages the stall owners cover the books pile in multiple layers of polysheet coverings.
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Used old books 1. Buying - 40% less on MRP 2. Selling - 50% less on MRP 3. Reselling - 50% of what you Bought for. Upon discussing about the situation during pandemic and also during off seasons like vacations of education institutes, the sellers shared that they do have parallel other business of binding jobs and Paper scraping. Most of the stall owners have been in the business for years. Some of them have almost spent their lifetime around this book market and are very skilled at maintaining records in two ways i.e traditional book keeping and memory. They are so sharp about the stock they have, that they can help you find a particular books in as less as 1 minute quick.
generations back. There’s a lot of dependency on the space. specificallly the fernandes bridge. During Monsoon season, water leakages are a major problem faced by stall owners. Had the bridge not been there, the market would not have really grown as it is today. The stall owners have been mindful of having an alternate business to do passively which not only helps them during off seasons but smething as unE predictable as the pandemic it self.
BY Abhijeet Jadhav Inside the Ahmedabad’s largest book market
Insights The stall owners are very skilled and prefer to follow traditioal ways to do and manage their business. Which can come only through years of experience. This canbe rightly seen in this market as lot of them have been selling books since 1-2 From the Field 25
Photo of the week
Captured by Shashi Shankar Location : Jama Masjid, Ahmedabad
26 From the Field
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cover back
Rs 100
FROM THE FIELD
Captured by Pranav Panchal