Clock Tower And Old City Market in Jodhpur
Clock towers have been a part of the British legacy to Indian architecture. Several towns and cities that had a cantonment of British Solders had the inevitable clock tower spring up tall in the central commercial hub of the township. There's one in Jodhpur too and is indeed a symbol of the city's glorious past.
The Clock Tower of Jodhpur is currently standing tall over the centuries old Sardar Market of Jodhpur city in Rajasthan. The Clock Tower had been constructed by Maharaja Sardar Singh who reigned from 1880 to 1911. The tall and imposing Clock Tower of Jodhpur was constructed as a marker to signal its position to desert travelers. Even today it is a silent sentinel to the activities of the centuries bygone.
Constructed almost a century ago this clock tower, which had once been at the centre of the business hub of this desert periphery town, was a welcome sight for travelers. Even today it is a reminder of the traders, their goods and the exchanges of buyers and sellers of some exotic and most common, everyday wares.
Despite its antiquity the Clock Tower is well-preserved and continues to look paternally over the quaint Sadar Bazar. The market is al buzz with sellers and buyers of all kinds of commodities rangingfrom vegetables to dried fragrant and poignant smelling spices as well as delectable, mouth watering sweetmeats. This market is also renowned for it large variety of handicrafts and silver ware.
The devoted shopper may even find some amazing bargains in antique wares in this old and long established market. In fact, more commonly than its name of Sadar Bazar the market is popularly is known as the clock Tower market also.
The Old City Market
The other commercial hub of this ancient desert city is the Old Market and sometimes even the Jodhpur market. This old market proximal to and as famous as the Clock Tower Market, is an age old established marketing hub for the elite and the commoner alike.
One can buy all kinds of wares in this brilliantly arrayed market that braches off into a number of lanes and radiating galleries. Each of these seems to have specialized, at one time, in a particular product. The ‘Bazazi’ bazaar lanes have a huge variety of cloth materials ready to wear clothes, sares, veils or ‘Odhanis’ as they are called in Rajasthan as well as an elaborate range of shawls and fabrics to suit royalty as well as the more conservative pockets.
Similarly, there are other specific lanes that branch off from the main market and showcase a number of hand-crafted and other traditionally manufactured products. There are colourfully displayed ‘mojdis’ and ‘juttis’, the traditional leather crafted, hand stitched foortwear common in Rajasthan. They are a great favourite with Indian and international tourists. Sometimes, if time permits, these juttis can also be made to order and delivered at any specific destination.
There are two very unique features of this market. One of them is the world renowned red chilly powder sold in this market. In pungent odour and sharpness of taste this chilly ranges on a very wide scale going from mild to flaming hot. The latter variety is enough to have one sweating and crying copiously at just one whiff of this sharp spice. The other unique feature is the typical array of tea flavours. These desert teas are a tasters paradise as each is uniquely fragrant with its typical and specialized spicy aroma.
While on the food track, there is plenty of Rajasthani food available at various old and established vendors of the snacks and savories of this little town markets.
The most significant fact of this market and those of all others such hubs in Jodhpur is that most of the products are reasonably priced. The tourists can safely purchase most of the goods to their hearts content as they can be assured of obtaining value for money under all circumstances. The most wonderful aspect of these old markets is that most of the souvenirs can be bought there because there is something for everyone no matter what their age or taste.