Our Weekly Market(Santhe)

Have you ever visited the weekly market or the 'Santhe' that they are locally called? If you have not done it yet, you can do it here, on this post. Santhes are small local vegetable markets arranged on the outskirts of the city/village. The vegetables here are fresh, cheap, and more organic than you think. I bet once you start visiting them, you would never want to buy the vegetables and fruits from the malls and supermarkets any more.

How are these markets different from the farmers market in other countries? These markets sell many other things apart from fruits and vegetables. The vegetables that are sold here are either locally grown or bought bulk from the main market of the city. For e.g. I am regular at these markets and I often purchase spinach and coriander from a lady who grows them.  I buy it mainly because they look sooo FRESH!!!

During the years of transferable job, whenever we relocated to a new city my father's first lookout was to find a place to get vegetable and fruits freshly. That tradition is instilled into me.  For me it's just 10 minute drive from my house and this distance makes me more certain to visit every week.
Being a regular visitor, I am acquainted with few lady sellers, and after a small chat they offer me extra discount on already discounted price.

Santhes are indispensable of many villagers in Indian Villages. A cluster of villages say 4 or 5 will have one market. For most of the villagers living nearby, this is also one stop groceries mart. That is why you see pulses, spices, flowers,utensils etc. being sold in the same platform as the vegetables. The sellers set up make shift tents or more fortunate ones will have a reserved place under the government designated large open shed with a roof.

Homemakers, husbands, restaurant workers, villagers and people from different walk of life flock the village markets to buy their daily needs
If you go at the end of the day everything is even more cheap, as most of the sellers would be calling it a day and packing their stuff. This is also the reason the Santhes are over crowded in the evening.
Here you could buy vegetables weight wise or heap wise. The sellers divide the vegetables into small heap, the usual price of which is merely 10 Indian Rupees.

Apart from my usual vegetables and fruits, I have bought many plants, clay pots from the sellers here which are seasonal. Hope you enjoyed the small tour of the market.

Linking this post to Our World Tuesday