Article Written By EIH Researcher And Writer
Tanisha Kaushik
Ahmedabad, a city revered as one of India’s textile and handloom hubs has received a fair share of recognition and admiration. But what makes this city a prosperous and dynamic work of art is, what in today’s time appraised as the ‘culinary canvas of India’, the bustling streets of Manek Chowk. Starting the morning as a vegetable market, a jewelry market, or a ‘Sarafa Bazar’ in the afternoon while simultaneously hosting one of India’s biggest bullion markets and gradually transitioning into a street food hub as evening beckons, the lively streets of Manek Chowk catapult a variegated city life.
A 15th-century Hindu saint Maneknath, who assisted Ahmed Shah I in constructing the Bhadra Fort, inspired the naming of the Chowk. Despite not having the finest physical construction, the streets of Manek Chowk help to bring the past into the present. Its history can still be experienced as the layers of activities have gained depth and energy through time. It is interestingly incomplete to understand the city without acknowledging Manek Chowk as it has transfigured itself as an urban artifact.
Manek Chowk has seen significant changes in both its physical and geographical elements. The presence of the Jumma Masjid, Badshah-no-Haziro, or King’s Tomb, and Rani-no-Haziro, or Queen’s Tomb adds to the uncommonness of this location. The neighborhood is situated at the southern end of Gandhi Road, the main commercial thoroughfare that runs from the Teen Darwaza and Bhadra Fort to the main train station. The L-shaped Manek Chowk situates the King’s and Queen’s tombs on one arm of the L and the Muhurat Pol, the city’s oldest residential neighborhood on the border of the opposite arm. One of the significant structures on the second arm of the L is the Stock Exchange building. This gives Chowk a framework for a diversified and dynamic environment.
From the structure’s fleeting appearance in the day to a plush and composite visual character in the evening, the nature of this place gradually changes with time and activity. The atmosphere of the entire street is determined by the quality of the sun and light as well as by the formation of a small, enclosed area. The fruit and vegetable market and the schools are the primary structures on this street. A more friendly environment is created by the businesses that outlay the mosque in front of the market. We thus see Manek Chowk as an amalgamation of syncretic forms of architecture as well as social life.
Ahmedabad began as a trading town for the trading port of Kutch. The residents of this area are long-held and renowned merchants. So, in the early days, Manek Chowk was a prime location for traders, merchants, and money lenders, and the stock market and jewelry stores still exist today, attesting to this fact. Additionally, Manek Chowk once supported significant formal ritual activity with mostly all religious processions commencing here. Thus, religious demands have traditionally supported regular market activity in the area. The chowk has changed and maintained its significance since it supported both minuscule yet salient activities concurrently.
On the east side of Rani-no-Hajiro, several pop-up businesses occupy the space mostly with stores that offer different kinds of ‘paans’ and mouth fresheners along with abundant clothing stores. The selling of music cassettes also showcases a much more vibrant side of the street. The Muhurat Pol area resides the classic timber-built homes with jeweler storefronts. Presently, Manek Chowk and the surrounding streets hold a multipurpose commercial center. This characteristically Indian market has certain distinctive traits due to the uncommon presence of institutions like the Stock Exchange, the fruit market, and the vegetable market in one place. This location has a multitude level of worth and meaning owning to the proximity of big institutions and small businesses.
Being a part of people’s daily lives and rituals, the Friday market area accumulated permanent features and elements for its assembling. The conjunction of ritual with the urban environment aided in creating a sense of identification and belongingness with the community as well as the city. The Muhurat pol was the city’s first neighborhood. Manek Chowk developed as a key region for transitioning from the urban monuments to the residential sector. Since the Hindu merchants lived in Muhurat Pol, all of their operations would start from here before moving on to Maidan-i-Shahi, a more significant urban center. Thus, Manek Chowk bestowed upon the locals the dual purpose of an urban area due to its closeness to the household accommodations as well as the monuments.
A new life starts in the plaza when the stock exchange and stores begin to close. One observes a dramatic transformation in the character of the area. One hour after the stock exchange closes, food cart owners slowly begin to take charge of the evening and nightlife at the chowk. Quickly enough the food’s aroma sets the mood of the place and the passerby. Interestingly, evenings at the chowk are not merely for relishing the taste of the street rather it has gradually become a retreat from the mundane life and a social spot for hanging out.
Manek Chowk streets in the present time, provide a powerful illustration of the many purposes streets serve in achieving a variety of goals. With each layer of activities that is added to the area, Manek Chowk’s importance grows. The Stock Exchange’s existence serves as a symbol of the institution of money as well as of its significance to society. The fruit and vegetable market, which operates in the evening, transforms the area and conveys the institutions’ worth. The informal and formal commercial operations that take place in the small shops help the city’s gold and silver industry.
Additionally, in today’s time, when it comes to innovative street food, Manek Chowk is the first name that comes to mind. From ‘Basti Ram’s’ kulfi shop to ‘Manek Pizza Centres’ unique and innovative pizzas, this food mela never fails to kickstart the flavor riot in every foodie’s palate. It would be unjustified to not mention the sweet and savory Gujarati ‘farsans’ or lite snacks that you can buy from the popular ‘Juna Sher Bazar’. The best part about all the cuisines served at this food hub is the typical Ahmedabad makeover.
People have therefore begun to identify strongly with this location through time and have grown to associate it with the life and character of the metropolis. Buying, selling, and eating are all refined to the point that they become a ritual and continue to be constant. The time they begin and close, the way the area is set up for shelter, and other small seasonal variations may occur, but they primarily stay the same. The area has taken on its current shape, which is full of worth owing to the forces of time, history, and the people’s collective resolve.
References
Nirupama Sharma – The Role of Rituals in the Transformation of a City and its urban components
