Most of the tourists and travelers visiting the city have listed shopping in Jaipur as a big attraction of the pink city. Old Jaipur markets in the walled city or Bazaars like Johari Bazaar, Nehru Bazaar, etc all rate high on their list. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II founded Jaipur in 1727 AD with the idea of establishing it as a major trading hub in North India. The city planners ensured wide roads and symmetric shop fronts in the markets of the walled city of Jaipur. The adherence to the layout is evident in this picture of the famous Johari Bazar Jaipur at the end of the 19th century.

This is how the Johari Bazaar compares with the old picture above.

Why travelers should explore the old Jaipur market in the walled city?

The streets of the Jaipur-walled city are buzzing with activity. Channa Jor Garam seller, old coin vendor, handicraft seller, and bookseller are a few examples.

Read   Milk Seller/ Jaipur Market/ Murli Gurjar where this picture first appeared.

It’s difficult to list them all here. Walking down the street amid the chaos, traffic snarls, dust, and noise might be painful for a few but this is a real treat for those interested in exploring and experiencing. A true local experience. Additionally, you can check out Jaipur by night.

Read  Doodh Mandi – Milk Market of Jaipur! where this picture first appeared.

Read  Mochadis & Jutis where this picture first appeared.

Malls across the world are similar be it  Mantri mall in Bangalore, Siam Paragon in Bangkok, or Pavillion in Kuala Lumpur!  You are likely to gain more by walking through the local market like Chatuchak market in Bangkok, Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, and Greenwich market in London than malls. Each bazaar has its own flavor & character which one must experience. This holds true for Jaipur as well. Every time I walk through these streets I get to see and experience something new! I highly recommend walking through the Johari Bazaar of all the places in Jaipur.

The old Jaipur market cannot be replaced by modern shopping complexes, malls, and hypermarkets. Most malls like World Trade Park in Jaipur primarily offer lifestyle products and popular brands in clothing and shoes. You find the same brands and similar assortments across all malls in the city; offering very little variety to choose from. In comparison, there is so much variety in these old Jaipur markets or Bazaars of the walled city of Jaipur. You can practically buy everything you need. Fruits, vegetables, shoes, hardware, daily need; everything is available except the lifestyle brands. There are many sellers selling their goods with unique assortment, quality, and prices.

Which Bazaar is famous in Jaipur?

Among all bazaars in Jaipur, Bapu Bazaar and Johari Bazaar are the most famous.

What is Johari Bazaar famous for?

Johari Bazaar is famous for jewelry, Sari, and wedding-related shopping among all things.

What can I buy in Bapu Bazaar?

Among the things you can buy in Bapu Bazaar are Sanganeri block-printed bed sheets and fabrics, traditional Rajasthani Jutis and Mojadis, Salwaar suits, and cosmetics.

Issues & problems in Old Jaipur Bazaars

The situation changed completely in the last decade. Traffic, congestion, Chaos, noise, and parking problems started surfacing in the old markets in the walled city of Jaipur. The congestion & traffic pressure compounded due to the high density of the population living in the old markets of the walled city of Jaipur. A large number of tourists also visit the old bazaars of Jaipur to shop & explore.

Traffic congestion in Johari Bazaar, Jaipur

Tourist sites like Hawa Mahal, City Palace, etc are in close vicinity. These markets are still dominant in trades like jewelry, handicrafts, wholesale flower market, etc. This creates a huge pressure on the existing infrastructure inside the traditional heritage markets of the walled city like Johari Bazaar, Tripolia Bazaar, and Sirehdyodi Bazaar.

From the 1980s, new markets started developing in localities across Jaipur reducing the dependence on the old markets of the walled city of Jaipur. In the last 10-15 years, malls and modern shopping complexes started springing up across Jaipur luring shoppers. Some made a switch to the swanky malls to avoid the traffic, chaos, and noise, one confronts in the old Bazaars. After all, Malls offered convenience, ease, and escape from the heat & dust. You don’t have to do bazaar hopping anymore!

Even then there is a large number of shoppers who remained loyal to these old markets of Jaipur. Some sections of shoppers made a switch only to revert back to the old ways of shopping after experimenting with the modern shopping experience

One of the biggest issues facing old Jaipur markets is increased commercialization during the last few years. The old Havelis are being razed down and replaced with modern buildings. Many of the old Jaipur bazaars are hubs for B2B businesses. This puts immense pressure on infrastructure. The demand for godowns in the walled city has increased manifold.

Even though the walled city of Jaipur was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in July 2019, the government has not done much and in reality, there is no stopping when it comes to the destruction of heritage.

Heritage Walking Tour in Jaipur

You can undertake a walking tour in Jaipur to understand the old Jaipur market. A walking tour is a great way to get a good orientation about the city and its history as well as heritage. To learn more about walking tours, read Heritage Walking Tour in Jaipur. With a guided walking tour, one can gain a more enhanced experience of the city, its evolution, heritage, and history.

Check out similar posts for Weekly Photo Challenge.

Follow me on Facebook      Twitter     Instagram