There have been at least two fires here, and a section of the roof has given way at least once before, but the Devaraja Market continues to thrive as the nucleaus of the commercial hub in Mysore, Karnataka. The market has a rectangular plan, with many entrances and two distinct arches in the North and the South. The Dufferin Clock Tower, locally called the Chikku Gadiyara (small clock) stands opposite one of the entrances to the Market. All the requirements of every day life in Mysore, from vegetables, fruits and flowers to woks, clocks and medicines are available in and around the Market. There are bakeries, medical stores and fancy shops on the periphery of the market, facing outwards, still in business after decades. Inside the market, there are rows of shops and stalls, selling anything from dessicated coconut to vegetables to fruits to perfume. Strands and garlands of the famous Mysore Mallige (jasmine flowers) are available in the flower stalls here. Leading off the market, nothing exists, sadly, of the streets evocatively called Onduvarane Galli (One-and-a-half Anna Street) and Nalakuaane Galli (Four-Annas Street), perhaps named after the price of the merchandise available on that street in days of yore.
An edited version of this article appeared in Culturama’s September 2012 Issue.
