Neemuch's Sarafa Bazaar turns into a vegetable market for a day ahead of Annakoot offerings

A vegetable market was set up for one day this year too in the main Sarafa Bazaar of Neemuch. On ordinary days the market is known for trade in gold and silver jewellery and utensils. On the occasion of Annakoot, however, vegetables are bought and sold here. The tradition was said to date to the Scindia era and to be about 150 to 250 years old.

Devotees bought vegetables here to offer to the deity in temples. The vegetables bought are sent to the temples for the Annakoot offering. Vegetable sellers had reached the market, held in the Ghantaghar area, as early as 3 am. They fixed their platforms and chose their spots to set up stalls.

The market's special feature is that there is no haggling between customer and seller. Devotees take the vegetables at the prices the sellers quote. Sanjay Jain, former president of the Vyapar Parishad, said the regular traders of the Sarafa Bazaar help the vegetable sellers at the event. On this day vehicles are not allowed into the market, and the vegetable sellers are given full freedom to set up their stalls.

Vegetable seller Tanish Mahawar said his family has been in the vegetable trade for several generations. His grandfather and then his father used to set up a stall here. Now he, too, sells vegetables here for Annakoot one day a year. He said sales dipped somewhat this time because there were two Annakoots. According to him, people buy vegetables to offer in the temple, so nobody haggles. People come to this market, held once a year, not to make money but out of religious devotion and faith.

Prashant Jaiswal, who came to buy vegetables, said it is a tradition many years old. People from all parts of Neemuch come to shop here. The entire stretch from Naya Bazaar to Gopal Mandir becomes a vegetable market, and trade here is conducted without haggling. He, too, had come to buy vegetables under the same tradition.