Markets carry the pulse of the communities that they serve, and act as a window to diverse cultures. Market Archives aims to document as many markets from around India as possible,small, sprawling, vanishing, noisy, up a hill, tucked away in a corner of the city,every one of them. Join us as we speak to different sellers, see what’s in season across varied geographies, taste the familiar and unfamiliar, and soak in the sounds and scents that define each market.
While documenting seed preservation practices within households and community seed banks in the villages of Umsawwar and Nongwah in Meghalaya, Queeneerich Kharmawlong and Ibapdianghun Myria realise that the women doing i…
Despite its importance, cleaning fish remains one of the least visible forms of labour in the fisheries economy. Revathi Sunil and Rashmi Sridar document what a day’s work looks like for the women at the Rameshwaram Fish…
Bamboo shoots, jute leaves, colocasia leaves, and bitter berries are just some of the fresh produce this market offers, now under threat as uncertain climate and shrinking forests affect growing cycles.
Golden pumpkin flowers, red roselles, magenta eggplants, and various shades of green everywhere you look. At Kolkata’s Gariahat Bajaar, shaak maashis bring a variety of winter greens foraged from the outskirts of the cit…
The Thal Sunday Market is indispensable to Neil Khopkar’s family-run eatery in Alibag. Leaning into local flavours and ingredients, it is here that they buy hirva vanga, samudra methi, and sakla, among a bunch of other p…
At the Kasimedu fish market in Chennai, fisherfolk are seeing a decline in their catch. Throvnica Chandrasekar captures the sights and smells of the market, and examines the reasons for the dwindling fish along the coast…
It is in the Matunga market in Mumbai that chef Ashwini Pai learnt how to identify a fresh and tender jeev kadgi. She writes on the seasonal produce essential to Mangalorean cooking, and how the market connects her to th…
A morning spent at Bengaluru’s Russell Market reminds us of the forgotten art of engaging with familiar strangers, and taking pleasure in hand-picking fruits and vegetables for our everyday needs. Meet its people, and th…
This heritage building is a mere shade of what it once was, and a visit doesn’t reveal its historical significance easily. Shivani Unakar and Dhiraj Chilakapaty on the design, structure, and systems of trade within a mar…