CHOR BAZAAR-MUMBAI
Chor bazaar situated in Mumbai is noted for its throng of era and antiques, where people come from different parts of the country to buy these vintage products. One of the largest flea markets in India, the Chor bazaar is situated near Bhendi bazaar in South Mumbai. It lies in close proximity to the Crawford market and Kalbadevi. Chor bazaar is poised on the Mutton Street, where one can clutch vintage diverse and variety of curios or remarkable products.
Chor bazaar literally means thieves' market which can even be termed as the pride of the city when it comes to shopping. Chor bazaar is one of the oldest markets in Mumbai and has a history of nearly 150 years old. Originally Chor bazaar was more popular among the natives as Sor bazaar which means a noisy market. It was the British during their reign in India, they mispronounced the word Sor as Chor and that's how the market gets its current name as Chor bazaar.
There are also many stores in the Chor market which deal with the second hand automobile spares. There is also a very popular story among the locals for the name of the market which states that a violin and some other belongings of Queen Victoria went missing while being unloaded from her ship while on a visit to Bombay, and were later found for sale in the "thieves' market". One of the most famous bazaars of Mumbai this market is home to many stolen goods as the name indicates.
Wide variety of products on sale:
We can find the shoppers wandering unsystematically and untidily through the shops at Chor bazaar for buying goods at a throw away price. There is a wide array of display of products for sale at Chor bazaar which include antiques to Victorian furniture and fashion to electronics. If we are good at bargaining then this is the best place to strike very cheap deals for most of the shop owners at Chor Bazaar react very cool to the whims and fancies of the shoppers. Chor bazaar is also one of the main attractions in Mumbai. Chor bazaar is not organized properly and is always in a state of complete confusion and disorder. This chaotic street is fringed by number of antique shops, where anything, varying from old ship parts, grandfather clocks, gramophones, old English tea sets to crystal chandeliers, could bargain your interest. The Chor bazaar is not fully organized and say we ask a product it cannot be pointed to a particular shop, a ransack into the Chor bazaar will help us in finding treasures. Chor bazaar is basically a flea market with a maze of lanes which is off the beaten path.
Reason Behind The Name Thieves Market:
The reason behind the name thieves market is that is generally believed that goods sold here are stolen and they mainly include antiques like hardware, tools, wooden carvings, brassware, statues, figures, silver coins, engines, old timepiece, jewelry, etc which are available in the bustling area. Thus if you are lover of antique items then this is the most ideal place to be visited in South Mumbai. The shops here remain open from 11 in the morning to 8 in the evening. It is always better to do shopping in the day light for otherwise we might land up being cheated. All local transports make an easy access to the Chor bazaar. As most of the things which come into the Chor market are illegal and stolen goods vindicating to the name of the market, the shop keepers come forward to sell these products at unusual rates. This bazaar is surrounded by dilapidated buildings, crowded streets and crumbling shops, retaining a bit of the old world charm. The narrow lanes of Chor bazaar are jammed with vendors selling all sorts of goods at very fluid prices.
Best Destinations in Mumbai to Buy all types of Goods
This is one of the best destinations in Mumbai to buy all types of goods like Brassware, kitchenware, Electronic Gadgets, Hardware, Tools, Meats, Fashion, Footwear, Bronze items, Furniture, Cane goods, Vintage goods, Stolen artifacts and much more. Chor bazaar made its debut in the Bollywood film industry where many movies are shot in the narrow and crammed lanes of the Chor bazaar. The Chor bazaar is further divided into two further subdivisions namely the Mini market and the Juma market.
Mini Market in the Chor Bazaar:
Mini market is a place in the Chor bazaar which concentrates on posters and all other trinkets related to the Bollywood industry. The Juma market sells hardware, tools and furniture. There is a note about the Chor bazaar in the famous novel, "Such a long journey ", written by Rohinton Mistry. This is one market pace in Mumbai which will never be missed by the natives of Mumbai for at least once in their life time they would have made an attempt to visit this market. The closest railway station to the Chor bazaar is the Grant road. The Chor bazaar is a very daunted place and beware of the pickpockets in this area and take care of your personal belongings. Being a Muslim area, Chor bazaar remains open from 11 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. on all days of the week except on Fridays which is the Muslim prayer day. But still the best day to visit the Chor market is Friday especially in the premises of the Juma market which is the real thieves' market. We can witness on a Friday morning the lanes of the Juma market being crammed by street vendors who sell different kinds of goods especially the stolen products.
Visit the Market the Best Item we Get from the Market
The early we visit the market the best item we get from the market. A person who is good at bargaining can make very good deals at Chor bazaar because it is the tendency of the shopkeepers to sell the products at an extremely high price where most of the tourist and the new comers to city fall in prey. Whereas most of the natives of Mumbai and also those who are good at bargaining will only quote half the price of what the seller is quoting and will also succeed in buying the same. More of the shops in the Chor bazaar deal with the second hand goods.
There are No Specific Item Sold in One Particular Shop:
There are no specific item sold in one particular shop for almost al the shops at Chor bazaar deal with products like brassware, ceramics, handicrafts, books, pens, swords, cameras, army badges, brooches, compasses, figurines, stamps, coins, glass lamps, clocks, gramophones, old maps, paintings, dowry chests, coffee tables, rocking chairs, and everything else under the sun. Manish market near the Chor bazaar also sells similar products. On Fridays the normal Muslim shops remains closed and during that time the Chor Bazaar gets the transition of the Jumna market where vendors from nearby and far places come here to sell their products in this market. There is also a funny saying by the natives of Mumbai, "If you lose anything in Mumbai, you can buy it back at the Thieves Bazaar." Each different street of the bazaar is lined with its own specialty, including antiques, woolen items, clothes and much more. Shop cautiously at Chor Bazaar.
Vendors can spot tourists from a block away. Chor bazaar is one place in Mumbai where there is something for everyone at a very reasonable rate; all we have to do is check the product once or twice before owning it. Though it is mostly said to have stolen and second hand products now it has become a network of corresponding stores hawking antiques and an interesting assortment of bric-a-brac. The best thing about Chor bazaar is that we get anything under the roof in most of the shops but still even after a day's shopping at Chor bazaar we still feel that the shopping experience is not enough. Chor bazaar is one popular market in Mumbai which can never be missed out for anybody will be able to give directions. The MTDC buses, auto-rickshaws and taxis will bring you straight to Chor Bazaar. It takes approximately 25 minutes from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. We can even come across hand- crafted sword where the sellers will infer it to some king's sword but for antique lovers this doesn't matter but will go ahead and purchase the product. There are some shops which even claim to sell royal clothes from the palaces all over the country.
The automobile parts which come to this market is mostly second hand and these parts also include spare tyres to bucket seats and imported car parts; all sold at half the original price. If we are new to the Chor market it is always good to take a local person along with us for they will be able to guide us better for good deals. Once we are done with the purchase it is good to check the product after packed up for few shopkeepers here are known to swap the merchandise with something else. The natives of Mumbai suggest visiting the Chor market around early in the morning between 4:00AM to 6:00AM for we can get great stuffs at a price which is almost a loot.