Chor Bazaar Encore

One of my oldest friends, Tanaya is in town for her internship, and from the day she saw my post on the Chor Bazaar of Mumbai, last year, she wanted to go.
So, after loads of requests and tantrums, we went! She was besides herself and got herself a pretty hourglass and a compass. What mattered the most was that we got some photos, of which we would definitely be proud of.
Old Typewriter

Polaroid Camera in Front of Vases

The thing about the Mumbai Chor Bazaar is that, more than smuggled goods, you can find old and used goods or very accurate copies. You may have a vintage typewriter and may have damaged a key, head over here, and you shall definitely find a replacement.

Types of old police whistles

Various camera lenses for sale on the roadside

Shops sell all kinds of stuffs! Whistles, bells, wheels, timepieces, clocks, watches, etc.

Old camera multiple lenses

Cameras lined on the shelf inside a shop

There’s one particular shop on the Mutton Street which has a collection of vintage cameras. No guarantees on the working conditions, but, amazingly mesmerizing collections. The dual lens reflex ones, old generations of SLRs, video cameras galore the shelves, and lenses. Manual prime and zoom lenses of varied focal lengths. Most shall invariably be damaged or dirtied beyond usable condition, but they look damn pretty! No doubts there!

A shop with various merchndises

A shop with various merchandise from Walkman to Playstation

The above photos struck me as a time lapse of sorts! One can spot walkmans, old dvds, a portable TV, and also Playstations and digital cameras! This is what I love about the chor bazaar, the sheer diversity of merchandise up for sale.

The following photo was taken last year:
Cameras and a mic.

And this one, this year!

Not a lot has changed I believe.

Like I said last year, If you come to Mumbai, and want to get yourself some antique stuffs, the Chor Bazaar on Mutton Street, Mumbai is the place to be. Have a list of things that you are looking for, or else, you might return spending way more than you planned, and have you craving for more.

Until the next time.

Take care all.

Cheers!!

Glimpses of Mumbai – Chor Bazaar

In the previous post, I mentioned about a trip to the Mumbai’s famous Chor Bazaar.

Alighting at the Sandhurst Road station, I took a taxi to Mutton St. And I officially arrived at the Chor Bazaar.
Some say, it was orginally Shor Bazaar, Shor meaning Noise in Hindi, and then slowly over time, and with influx of stolen goods available for sale, it got renamed to Chor Bazaar, thieves market. To me, it appeared to be more of a second hand market. From old furniture to a pair of walky talky, a little search can yield wonderful results. I arrived at the place at noon, a time when the bustle is at a minimum. I hopped from shop to shop, looking for  a very specific item. There are shops which sell old film cameras, SLRs, Projectors, vinyl records, typewriters. Shops selling lamps, from chandeliers to signalling lamps, everything is available. Clocks, table clocks or wall hanging ones, or if you fancy, the big grandfather ones, all are available, in different conditions, at different prices, and bargaining is rampant. This is a collector’s paradise. One must visit this place to take in the essence. Enough of the literature, let the photos speak now. Enjoy.

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I hope I have managed to entice you to take a trip to this part of the city. A word of caution, do exercise common sense in terms of how you dress and how you behave with people in the bazaar. Flaunting that you have deep pockets may not end on a happy note for you, and yes, dear photogs, who plan to go shoot here, ask for permission. If they say No, then respect it, do not try to be sly and take photos anyway. They may not be very happy about it.

Go on, search in the bazaar, am sure you ll find something that interest you.