From fruits to vegetables to meat to peanuts to spices, all is available in one of the most happening markets in Bangalore- Madiwala. It is interesting to note that some of the vendors in the market live there itself; their place of business is their sweet home too. However there are others who come from distant places and one of them is Velu. He leaves home at 2 AM and winds up at around 8 PM. He voices plaintively, “I have a family but I do not get time to spend with them. When I leave they are asleep and by the time I reach home my wife and children are sleepy.”
Asha however does not face this problem; her family stays in a house that lies amidst the Madiwala Market. They work together in shifts and often sit and talk with each other during the afternoons when the customers are less.
One more piece of information that needs mention here is that the Madiwala Market is not very visible to people; only the shops that are facing towards the main roads attract a decent number of customers, rest that are inside and away from the busy roads don’t get many. Asha and Velu were on the same page regarding this issue.
This feature, however, is neither regarding Asha nor Velu. It is about one of the most jovial vendors in Madiwala Market who makes friends with every customer and often smiles at his problems. This optimistic individual is Sundar.
As Velu and Asha had said that they seemed invisible owing to the position of their shop, Sundar was no different. “Earlier me and my son had a cart and we used to stand at the side of the main road. Those were the times when we got plenty of customers, even people on vehicles when stuck in traffic would make quick purchases. After coming inside, it has been a little difficult to get customers. The business has become dull. The bunch of chillies that I have here, it’s the same that I have had for the past three days,” voices Sundar with a smile.
He further speaks of his family, voicing that “My son and my wife work with me. We come here together at 4:00 AM and then leave together at 7:00 PM.”
When questioned about his business during the pandemic, Sundar conveyed that his business was at its lowest during that time. “All shops were closed then and even if we opened it on any weekend hardly any customer came. It also happened that I had to go and knock at people’s doors to sell vegetables. That was perhaps the only reason we made it through the pandemic.”
Sundar confirmed that he has a vendor’s license and that he was legally registered under the Bengaluru Municipality.