Lajpat Nagar Market in Delhi

[aroy]

Lajpat Nagar is a colony initially set up to house refugees from West Pakistan, after the partition of India. The plots are mainly small 80 to 150 square yards, and the Government provided free housing with barrack style building. Since then the colony; which was in the outskirts of Delhi; has prospered and is now bang in the centre of Delhi's upmarket South Delhi. The market was a small affair initially, but over time expanded till shops are now liming all roads leading to the market. Lajpat Nagar Market is the hub of middle class shopping, with a wide variety of goods.

1. Panoramic view of the market



1a. Signage

Entry


No hoardings or banners in the park


This sign is in one of the side lanes, where the market has overflown.

 

[aroy]

2. Streets leading to the market


Pizza delivery vehicles


Approach


Haphazard parking


Market proper on the left


Cycle rickshaws


Cycle rickshaws


Internal street in the market


Shops


One man shop

 

[aroy]

3. Colourful displays


Strings and ropes

Mannequins


Dresses


Dress shop

 

[aroy]

4a. Street food


Coconut


Flat bread with vegetables






Chat


Chat


Boiled corn

 

[aroy]

4b. Street Food
This stall is set cooking food for the masses as a part of religious festival. In most of India, some one underwrites the feeding of poor during festivals. This has now become a "food for all" who come.


Overview

Supervisor

Halwa - sweet dish

Halwa

Vegetables

Vegetables

There is also rice seen in the second shot around the supervisor.

 

[aroy]

4c. Street Food.

This is one of my favorites. Dav Vada - Fried balls of ground and fermented mung dal, served with a mint chutney and radish leaves.



Overview of the Chat ;on the left; and Vada ;on the right; stalls

Father and son duo. The fried vadas are arranged on a tray. They are fried fresh for discerning customers, but those in a hurry prefer ready made ones.

Frying

Vadas arranges on a tray

Radish leaf salad. consists of both the white radish and its leaves (Muli in Hindi).



This is how you eat it. The chutney and radish salad is mixed in the left side and the hot vadas are in hand. Mostly the chutney and the radish are piled on the vadas them selves in one dish, but some prefer it in separate dishes.

 

[aroy]

5. Shops and Vendors












Plastic Lace


Stall run by a war veteran


Bindis of all types




Kerbside costume jewellery sales and repairs


Ss there are long power cuts at times, these generators power the shops.

 

[aroy]

6. Rakhi.

Rakhshabandhan is a festival (which was the next day), where girls bind Rakish to their brother, and the brothers pledge to protect them. Rakhis can vary from small coloured strings to elaborate designer jewellery. What is sold in this market is popular medium priced versions. Many jewellery shops sell Rakhis made of precious and sem-precious stones with gold and silver thread. There are hundreds of stall selling Rakhis during this period, a few interesting ones are here.

 

[Ironwood]

Thats a great pictorial of the Market, thanks for posting Aroy.

 

[Lalam]

Nice pictorial documentation.
Received my D3300 today. Learning how to use it properly.

 

[Blacktop]

Great shots of life in India. Thank you for sharing.

Fried balls of ground and fermented mung dal,

I don't know what that is, but if it's fried ,it can't be bad. Plus it looks real good in the picture.

 

[aroy]

Great shots of life in India. Thank you for sharing.



I don't know what that is, but if it's fried ,it can't be bad. Plus it looks real good in the picture.

Indian snacks especially street food are mainly fried. I had read in one of the FAO monographs that in hot humid climate only fried (that too fried a lot) food keeps for the day, every thing else ferments and goes bad.

Ball are easiest to make and fry. The best part is that they float on oil, so rarely absorb any oil, only surface is in contact with hot oil which seals it initially. Balls are made mainly from lentils, ground fine and mixed with a bit of yoghourt and spices, then formed into balls with hand and fried. Fermentation ensures that they are light and fluffy. In some regions mashed potato balls filled with a core of spices are made - Aloo Bonda.