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SEMINAR

Research proposal

‘The Hafta Bazaars of Delhi’

Damini Datta

Esha Mathur

Swarnabh Ghosh

Nitin Agrawal

Anirudha Sundaresan

Abstract

Hafta Bazaars are an enduring phenomenon in the urban landscape of Delhi. A group of

traders and vendors come together in the same physical realm and sell a variety of

consumer goods. These markets are mobile and shift locations on each day of the

week, catering to a diverse spectrum of consumers. They are resilient, efficient and over

time, they have evolved and developed a structure with a set of rules and

characteristics.

This research explores the various facets of the bazaars and the place they occupy in

the urban fabric. Participant observation and interaction shall form an important

component of our research and will be used to derive inferences about the physical,

social, political and economic aspects of the weekly markets.

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Overview

Weekly bazaars, the traditional style of retail markets are quite popular in Delhi,

especially among the lower and middle income groups. These markets offer a diverse

range of commodities from garments and footwear to utensils and spices. They operate

in a systematic manner from locations that lie in close proximity to large residential

sectors.

The study will attempt to understand the economic, social and political aspects of the

weekly bazaar and the people that are associated with it. Over time, these bazaars

have developed distinct characteristics in terms of their organization, economy and

hierarchy. The dynamic of the markets are layered and involve a certain degree of

compromise and ‘deal-making’ between all the stakeholders: the traders (and their

leaders), the local authorities, the local law-enforcement agencies and the consumers.

Operating on the fringes of regularization, these markets compete with a host of factors,

all of which directly or indirectly affect them. Unlike planned development(s), they lack

the physical security of permanence and are affected by a variety of factors ranging

from policy decisions to something as simple as the weather.

The primary component of the data will be obtained by ethnographic methods. First

hand information will be obtained by participant observation on visiting the sites of these

markets in Saket, Govindpuri, Amar Colony and RK Puram to name a few. It will include

our interaction with people who are directly or indirectly associated with hafta bazaars

ranging from traders to buyers. The proposed approach is the best as it shall give us an

idea of the demographic, the operating procedures. Second hand information will be

collected from sources such as libraries and public archives. Newspaper articles and

websites will also be a part of our dataset during the process of researching.

Background and Significance

The weekly bazaars form an integral part of the fabric of Delhi. Even as the city

develops and undergoes metamorphosis, these markets continue to operate, with

resilience and grow with their own set of patterns and networks forming microcosms of

activity functioning within a larger urban framework but with a degree of aloofness.

Furthermore, these markets attract a large percentage of regular buyers from diverse

socio-economic backgrounds. It would be interesting to study and examine the

characteristics which make these bazaars successful and whether these characteristics

can be interpreted (and represented) in other ways.

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As students of Architecture, it is pertinent that we address issues relevant to the city and

the urban fabric of which Hafta bazaars form an integral part. Although our prior work

has dealt with certain sociological and physical aspects at a city scale; this study will

make an attempt to understand the role of these markets as part of the ‘larger picture’ in

Delhi.

Preparation and Work thus far

Our initial perception of the market thought it to be an independent operating unit. We

thought that this system was set up on a particular day of the week and wondered

where these people actually came from, and to where they went. The question that we

all had in our minds was how these people managed out of a day’s earnings for a week,

and whether these traders had alternate sources of income. Our preliminary findings

and the pilot study proved a lot of our presumptions wrong. We found the bazaars to be

intricately organized in terms of structure and hierarchy. They had rules and regulations

and operated in a systematic manner keeping tabs on various details such as number of

shops, information about the traders etc.

Pilot Study – Sunday Market at R.K.Puram

Our preliminary study involved visit to the Sunday weekly market at R.K Puram where

we interacted with the traders, consumers and the internal, self appointed regulatory

body (South Delhi Weekly Bazaar Association).

We asked the traders the following questions (these were pre-decided) :

Questionnaire

1. When did they start and become a part of the Hafta bazaars?

2. What made them start?

3. Where are they from?

4. Where do they put up in Delhi?

5. Are they the same people who go to different bazaars? If no, then what do they

do on other days to earn a living?

6. Is the family involved in the same profession?

7. How are the people working in the shop related to them?

8. What kind of products do they deal in?

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9. Why are they selling that product? Is it their individual choice or is it part of the

system?

10. What is their daily income?

11. What s the difference between a week end operation and a week day operation?

Does that affect their income?

12. Where do they get their products from?

13. What is the peak time for sale?

14. Who decides whether a certain group of people can set up a bazaar at a

particular place?

15. Are they content with the temporary set up of these bazaars?

If yes then why?

16. Do they want it to be legalized?

17. How do they negotiate with the policemen?

At RK Puram, Mr. Sushil Kumar, who is a trader, gave us an insight on the

functioning and configuration of the weekly bazaars. It is here that we understood the

system that is adopted by the markets to reach out to maximum number of people of all

classes and how these localities were authorised by the MCD, with agreement on the

part of the RWA (Residents Welfare Association) of the various localities.

The weekly Bazaars have a set number of traders who have been associated

with it for a period of over thirty years. The traders themselves formed an association

that is headed by a ‘pradhan’ who would be a middleman between the MCD and the

local authorities. The role of the ‘pradhan’ as portrayed by himself is questionable as he

stated to be doing a voluntarily act and that the system is one with no hassles.

We would like to know more about the powers of the ‘pradhan’, his authority over

the traders, and the way he exercises his control.

Our interaction with the traders has made us aware that the markets operate

within a definite framework and hierarchy; a highly organized system where the

allocation of space is regulated and controlled with a standardized physical module. We

also observed that a substantial percentage of the traders are first generation migrants

from other states in search of employment.

There are a variety of commodities that are sold in these markets ranging from

perishable food items to readymade garments to household products. However, it is

important to note that each vendor specializes in a particular commodity only. These

markets are authorized by the MCD and have to pay a pre-decided sum for a physical

module of space (“fatta”).

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The Transformation of the street during the course of the day

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Methodology and plan of work

Our initial and most important step would be participant observation which will

involve visits to the various markets functioning on different days in South Delhi.

Information will be collected the form of photographs, videos, schematic sections,

schematic plans and basic measurements. This exercise will help us to

understand the physical space and the transformation of this space throughout

the day. Also understanding how the character of these markets changes with

respect to locality and with the varying physical space available.

Markets visited so far:

Wednesday Market at Govindpuri (on 19th Jan, 2011)

Sunday Market at R K Puram- Sector 7 (on 23rd Jan, 2011)

Thursday Market at Gautam Nagar (Niti Bagh) (on 3rd Feb, 2011)

Monday Market at Saket (on 7th Feb, 2011)

To be visited:

Tuesday Market at Sheikh Sarai

Friday Market at Dakshin Puri

Saturday Market at Amar Colony

Our next step would involve a direct interaction with the traders by means of

informal conversation as well as a pre-determined questionnaire. This will enable

us to understand the functioning of these markets and will account for a brief on

the backgrounds of the traders to figure out their association with the bazaar. It is

their knowledge that will set the main framework of our study and to understand

more about the social and economic implications of the bazaars.

Interaction with the MCD officials in-charge to understand the legalities and

politics behind the hafta bazaar.

The next step shall be interacting with the respective RWAs and understanding

more about the larger context, if it hampers their functioning or does it inhibit it,

are they in agreement with it or not, such questions shall be answered by them.

Then we shall interact with secondary sources who have been studying these

markets and acquire data already gathered by them and validating it. We shall

take their opinion on the data gathered by us.

Simultaneously, we shall follow Mr. Sushil Kumar (during the course of his work-

day) to understand the system of delivery. Also his relationship with the officials

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will be paid attention to in order to better understand the politics of the weekly

markets.

We shall go to pradhan’s office to get relevant data and to take his perspective

on the functioning of these bazaars and the role that he plays in the operation of

the markets.

Site justification

Our case studies will be limited to the weekly bazaars in South Delhi. We are focusing

on South Delhi as it best represents a blend of both historic and modern settings. In the

recent years, South Delhi has emerged as one of the posh locales of Delhi amidst a

number of historic settlements. The site is also dotted with a number of unauthorized

resettlement colonies which have cropped up in the recent years. It is interesting to note

how weekly bazaars have been strategically located near highly clustered locations to

attract maximum consumers. It is also important to understand how these markets have

sustained themselves amid the malls and commercial complexes in this region.

Source - http://www.delhicapital.com/delhi-maps/south-delhi.html

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Conceptual Framework

Research Questions

Q1). What are the marketing practices adopted by the vendors of the weekly markets?

How effective are these?

Q2). How have these markets been able to make a mark in an economically affluent

region that is known for its posh markets?

Q3). What is the impact of these bazaars on the immediate vicinity as well as the larger

urban fabric?

The inconvenience (convenience?) that it causes to people on the other side of the wall

shared between the traders and the inhabitants or how at certain cases it benefits these

people who make use of this opportunity by becoming effective participants of the

bazaars

Q4). How mobility has giving them an edge over the other permanent informal markets?

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