A market to remember

This local market has been the pride of Mysuru for more than a hundred years and attracts local sellers, buyers and tourists.

By Mehak Mudassir

The local sellers at Devraja market wake up before the sun rises to bring produce to the marketplace. The area is cramped by trucks bringing fruits, vegetables and flowers from the farms in and around Mysuru. Just hours later, the trucks are replaced by localites who bargain their way through the busy street.

What used to be a small weekly market in the 18th century is a tourist attraction today. The Devraja market spans over three acres of land and dates back to the reign of Tipu Sultan. The space has always accommodated thousands of buyers, sellers and tourists. It is known to sell fresh vegetables and fruits—in fact, the three thousand- odd sellers ensure that their produce is always fresh and are ardently against the concept of ‘cold storage’. The products that are sold here are bought from the farms directly at wholesale rates and are sold at cheap rates.

The Devraja market is compartmentalised as there are individual sections dedicated to different types of products. For example, one section of the market is dedicated to fresh flowers while another deals solely with puja items.Other prominent sections of the market include sections for vegetables, fruits, jaggery, onions, potatoes, puffed rice, and coconut. There are four entrances to the market; one on Dhanvanthri Road in the south, one opposite Dufferin Clock Tower in the north, and two entrances to the middle of the market on the Sayyaji Rao Road. Shops are arranged along three aisles that run through the length of the market.

The marketplace has now made its way to every tourist’s bucket-list, as many grab their cameras and look forward to wandering in the busy streets. While one might lose the sense of time while walking in the crowd, there are two tall clock towers looming over the area that remind us of the time. The Chikka Gandiyara (small clock tower) and the Dodda Gandiyara (big clock tower) have now become the resting spot for those who wish to sit and take a break before resuming their shopping once again.