Chanderi - the Ancient Market

We got on another train for a four-hour journey to our destination, the small town of Chanderi, a village of 40,000, tiny compared to Delhi and Agra. Looking out the window it seemed that the pollution was following us, but miraculously was clear in the town. Our elevation, according to whatismyelevation.com, is 1495 feet, enough to help with the dusky air.

On the way, we also saw many cows, pigs, and sheep, and women washing clothes in a reservoir. Intrepid hired a very knowledgeable guide for us, Mustafa, who is a local and national celebrity. He has his own stamp showing his profile, and a companion stamp of a dahlia named after him. This man traces his ancestry back to the year 1304! He is part of the Muslim community which comprises 30 percent of the village.

Mustafa first took us through the ancient market, which has been in continuous operation for 800 years. The streets were very narrow — it is a medieval walled city — and motorcycles drove through the street amongst the pre-Diwali shoppers and the shop displays which also lined the narrow streets. In the mix were cows and goats. As a lover of markets, I must say this was way up there in the 99 percentile. The noise and associated fear of the motorcycles was the only damper on enjoyment.

The narrow alleys of the Chanderi market

This is a wider street.

A blurry photo of a baby cow and cart

A goat lounging in a recession in the thick city walls