Hampi Bazaar...

Today we were asked to go in small groups to start the research on our project by collecting stories. I decided to visit the rest of Hampi because only then I could decide which site I wanted to work on.

Hampi Bazaar.....



Initially, I had decided to work on the Hampi bazaar because it interested me.

We had conversations with a lot of the local shopkeepers. Initially, we made a mistake of interviewing them instead of just having the conversation. Because they were being reluctant to answer us. But as soon as we began to spend time and have real conversations,     they too opened up to us. We could learn a lot from the conversations. Most of the shopkeepers have been living here since generations. Some are happy with the changes that are being made and at the same time, some are not.

The Happiest Lady.

I don't know her name but I can never forget her smile. At the beginning, she considered us to be like the regular tourists who just comes to 'buy' stuff. She didn't smile. She was only concerned to make a sale. But as soon as we started to have conversations with her, she began to smile. She felt so happy that even made us smile. She was so eager to share her story with us. I couldn't fully understand what she was saying but I could try guessing them from her actions. She lives in a nearby village since no one is allowed to stay at Hampi since UNESCO has declared it to be a protected site and renowned it as a World Heritage Site. Her village is called Kamlapura and she takes the bus daily to come here. Her village is near as she said that her bus ticket just costs seven rupees. She was eager to know about us too. When we asked her whether her business has been affected by the sudden change, she said that it was fine. Since Hampi is a protected heritage site, tourism has increased. That has been beneficial for her. But at the same time, she had to shift her home. She is not happy nor angry with the changes that are being made. She makes her own jewelry and sells them. She also showed us the various things that she sells. 

After that day, whenever she saw us in the later days, she smiled. She was very happy to see us.

Uncle.

This is Venkata Raja. He is from Hyderabad. He has been living here in Hampi since generations. His father started his shop and he has been maintaining the business since he took over. His family also stays here in Hampi. He is not comfortable talking in Hindi and therefore he conversed with us in Telugu. Thankfully, one of us could understand Telugu. We had long conversations. When we asked the same questions about the changes being made, he told us that he was not happy. He said that he was displaced from his own land. He had to shift his house as well as shift his business. Everything has been affected by the change. His business is not in profit like it used to be. His expenses have increased. People coming in his shop has reduced. There is no more local craft work here. Everything has been imported from various part of the country. Hampi has lost his true essence, he says. The only thing that remains are the temples. People don't go to the temple to worship anymore, it has become more of a tourist place rather than a place of worship. Everything has changed and there's nothing we can do about it.

Chechi.

This is Priyanka. She too is from Hyderabad and is not comfortable talking in Hindi. She was eager to know more about us. She asked us more questions than we could ask her. When I said that I am from Kerala, she smiled and called me, 'Oh, Chechi'. And, that's the only Malayalam word that she know. It was fun talking to her. She was a very happy person. The shop is owned by her family and she is helping her parents run it. Everything that she sells has been imported from either Gujarat or Rajasthan. When we asked her about the local craft works, she said there isn't any. We were shocked to hear this since we didn't expect to hear this reply. I mean, Hampi is a world renowned tourist place and is famous for its bazaar. Yet, it has nothing to offer, on its own. It is slowly losing its essence.