The Bazaars of Hyderabad Indeed!

And the countdown begins...four days to go. No, not for the start of a new year but something else that starts on the same day - the All India Industrial Exhibition or 'Numaish'. Sarojini Naidu's poem may well be popularly considered as a fitting description of the quaint bazaars of Charminar. I think it also beautifully sums up the waves of sensory experiences that surge and wash over you at the Numaish.
The sights - colours all around you of possibly every shade in the spectrum, wares that would delight even an adult with childish joy, happy faces, worked-up faces of people engulfed in heated haggling, smug faces of satisfied vanquishers having gotten their way; the sounds - Rafi's heavenly voice sounding over the speakers adding an even more 'old world charm' to an already historical shopping tradition that dates back to beginnings in a glorious past, shopkeepers trying to outdo their competition screaming out their enticingly low rates at hundreds of prospective shoppers passing by, the talk, laughter, chatter of a crowd swelling and ebbing as they move through the narrow lanes and large squares lined with shops; the smells - the deliciously warm smell of freshly popped corn with hints of pepper and butter wafting through the air as you make your way through the entrance, wisps of perfume floating every here and there, the slightly corrosive and 'dusty' dust kicked up by the crowd walking over vast sandy patches that irritates your throat, the inviting smell of all kinds of yummy street food pulling you towards the eat-outs. Yes, it is an incredible experience.
More so because it's amazing to see such huge crowds, their numbers often running into thousands, congregate at this one place - congregate not because of a religious or political compulsion. Everyone gathers at the Numaish for one common reason - to enjoy their evening out. I find it fascinating to be part of a crowd that has no levels or barriers for that evening. We're all trying to do the same things - buy, haggle, window-shop, eat, rest, watch the other shoppers, and generally have fun. It feels so cohesive and unified.