Pune's Oldest 'Olx' and 'Quikr', long before the Internet: Juna Bazaar.

Scorpion shaped wall-pegs, damsel shaped bottle opener and betel nut crackers.

It’s been over 4 years since we came to Pune, and although I had visited the Juna Bazaar twice earlier to pick up scrap for Recycling, I decided to visit again, but this time, with a traveler’s perspective. And I’m glad I did, because I could appreciate and observe the bazaar more than before.

A box with compartments for betel leaves and nuts. 

The Juna Bazaar is a market for old and second hand goods, as the word ‘juna’ which means ‘old’ in Hindi, suggests. It’s a make shift market, stretching over half a kilometer, that is set up on every Sunday and Wednesday from 9 am to 6 pm on Veer Tanaji Ghorpade road in Kasba Peth. 

I am usually petrified of crowds but I braved this one. 

If you are visiting this market be prepared to wade through the crowd and narrow spaces. I entered the market and was casually strolling and stopping by at stalls to take pictures and occasionally chat up with the sellers. I stopped at one antique seller’s stall and casually enquired from where he sources these antique items. Instead of answering my question, he asked me where I am from. I told him I’m from Pune but I’m visiting the market for the first time. (Yes, I know I lied!!). He laughed and said that he guessed that because the locals never ask that question. He invited me to sit on the footrest of the scooter that was parked next to him and I took a short leap over his precious collection and sat down. He proceeded to show me various items from his stall. 

Nizam Bhai and the scooter next to him where I sat. 

Some of the coins he showed me dated back to Shivaji Maharaj and Aurangazeb’s time, which is almost over 300 yrs old. He said he sources things from various places. The coins are usually from villages and farms and fields, because in the earlier days before the banking system, people kept their money safe by burying it in the fields, in pots. Some people also part with their own collection. A lot of interesting brassware was sold by people who could no longer keep up with the demands of this high maintenance metal.

Old coins in the denominations of one paisa and pice. 

Coins from Shivaji Maharaj's time. Note the words 'Chhatrapati' and 'Raja' in Hindi on the coins. 

Coin collection.

Silver coins from Aurangazeb's time, made in Surat. 

The coins at his stall as well as in other stalls was priced between Rs 50 to Rs 300 depending on its antiquity.

Anklets for humans and animals like cows and elephants. 

Door knockers. 

I asked him how old this market was. He said the market has been thriving since the reign of the Peshwas, since over 300 years. He said he is in his 60’s now and remembers tagging along, as a young child with his grandmother, who herself had been selling antique items at the bazaar for a very long time. My guess is that when the city started expanding, the oldest original market of Pune, which was outside Shaniwarwada, diversified around 150 yrs ago, into the vegetable market at Mandai and the Juna bazaar for second-hand items.

This bowl shaped item is used for massaging the legs. 

If you visit the Juna bazaar, do visit this friendly seller, Nizam Bhai, who offered me tea and also showed me a few clippings of newspapers and magazines in which he had been mentioned. I thanked him for the information and his hospitality and proceeded to explore the other stalls.

A 1920 model of a Marine telescope. 

A seaman's box containing a compass, magnifying glass and telescope. 

The antiques range from interesting brass home décor items like vases and lanterns, door knockers shaped like lions and elephant heads, scorpion shaped wall-pegs, to kitchen items like tortoise shaped vegetable graters and artistically designed betel nut crackers and boxes to miscellaneous items like a 1920 model of a Marine telescope, a brass coal iron and a receptacle shaped like a cow for offering holy water. Prices ranged from Rs 250 to Rs 3000 depending on the item.

A vegetable grater shaped like a tortoise. 

A tiny brass coal iron box. 

Horns and sand clocks. 

I chatted up with another seller and he told me that not all items that are labelled as ‘antique’ are actually antique. There are factories, mostly based in Delhi, which manufacture copies of the original antique pieces.

A tiny antique gramophone. 

A genie's lamp. Yes, I did make a fervent wish! 

A cow shaped vessel for holy water. 

It says telescope made for the Royal Navy. 

A beautiful fish shaped lock with equally beautiful keys. 

Apart from antiques, you also find other second hand household goods like refrigerators, blenders, pots and pans and stoves, and electronic appliances like computer parts and television screens, phones and also car batteries and type writers! There are also various second hand tools like spanners, axes, shovels, chains and pulleys for construction work. 

Half used bottles and tubes of paint. 

Old phones. 

Old refrigerators. 

Pans, stoves, and cookers. 

Steel utensils. 

Although it is Juna bazaar, you also have some stalls selling new items like suitcases, bags, goggles and eyewear, shoes and apparel.

Hardware equipment like pliers, spanners, screwdrivers. 

Suitcases.

Jeans priced at Rs 80! Really cheap. 

Car batteries. 

Reflection on the eyewear. 

The shoes section. 

If you are tired after walking around, there are stalls that sell vada pav, cucumbers and lemonade.

Vada pav stall. 

Cucumbers to beat the heat. 

Things to keep in mind if you plan to visit Juna bazaar:

·         The market is open only on Sundays and Wednesdays between 9 am to 6 pm.

·         Be prepared to walk around a lot.

·         Carry water to keep yourself hydrated. I did not see any shops selling bottled water.

·         I usually don’t bargain, although others would recommend it. Use your discretion.

·         Go through the antique section carefully. There are many interesting items and unless you look closer, you wouldn’t know what it is.

·         Enjoy the experience.

Typewriters. are there people who use them? 

Foot rest for polishing your shoes, seen commonly at Mumbai railway stations. 

Horse shoes. 

Coal operated stoves. 

Pune Heritage Walk

In 2011, when my husband announced that his company is transferring him to Pune, I jumped with excitement. The first thought was, Pune is where the Maratha warrior king Chatrapati Shivaji grew up in, and freedom fighters like Veer Savarkar had their base in, and I'm going to be in that place. I had enjoyed history immensely in school, so much so that while the History teacher narrated tales of wars and freedom struggle, I almost went back in time, lived the story and came back fully charged. 

When I got to know that The Western Routes organizes the Pune Heritage Walk, I was eagerly waiting to join. That time finally came in February this year. My husband and I, along with an Indian friend, his Japanese wife and adorable child set out on a fine morning to discover the heritage of Pune. The walk was conducted by the founder of The Western Routes, Jayesh Paranjape, a very friendly and informative person. Do dig up information on the best places to eat in Pune, if you ever happen to meet him..:-) 

The trail took around 4 hours and Jayesh took us to some wonderful places to eat too. (read misal pav, sabudana wada, aloowadi and endless glasses of fresh sugarcane juice)

This post is more of a picture story, for I strongly recommend that you participate in the trail yourself if you get an opportunity, for all the juicy details from history..:-) 

The entrance to the Shaniwarwada fort, which was constructed in 1746 and was the seat of the Peshwa rulers. The houses inside were made of wood and were destroyed in a massive fire in 1828, so one can see only the foundation of the buildings which were made of stone. The foundation stone of the fort was laid on a Saturday that is why the name 'Shaniwarwada'; 'Shaniwar' meaning Saturday and 'wada' meaning , houses.

This is the close up of the gate of the Shaniwarwada. There are huge spikes on the surface to deter the elephants from the enemies side from tearing down the gates.

Inside the fort...

The events pertaining to Shaniwarwada  listed chronologically on a marble stone. It's an interesting piece of information that the ruling Peshwa, Bajirao, had a second wife, called Mastani, and since she was not very welcome in the family, there was another entrance gate made dedicated for her, and she could not enter the fort from any other gate. Their story had now been made into a Bollywood movie by the name 'Bajirao Mastani'.

The family tree of the Peshwa rulers..

The stairs leading to the upper floor and rampart..

The picture below is of one of the houses in Kasbapeth. Notice the old Pune style of architecture juxtaposed with Queen Victoria's image on the metal railing.  This was to show the family's loyalties to the British during the pre-Independence era.

This is the Kasbapeth Ganpati, which is a 'swayambhoo' Ganpati, meaning the stone naturally assumed the form of the Elephant headed God, Ganesha. It is said that when Shivaji along with his mother, Jijabai, arrived in Pune to settle down, the Ganesha appeared around the same time in one of the ministers backyard. When the news was conveyed to Jijabai, she took it as an auspicious sign for her son, to make Pune as one of his main bases to rule the kingdom. Photography was not permitted inside. The architecture and the wooden carvings and beams inside are still well preserved even after 400 years.

Notice the inlay of brick work. Pune, in those days was known for brick making and bricks were custom made according to its use. You will also notice how the bricks are arranged, some vertically, some horizontally. That was unique to the houses of old Pune. It was only after the British arrived that the brick size was standardized, as was the laying of, of the same.

One of the wadas in old Pune..

Nanawada, where one of the important Peshwa ministers, Nana Phadnavis lived. It was built in 1780 and now the building functions as a school.

Look closely at the photo and you will see the image of a banana flower (kelphool) carved on wood. This is a recurring motif in Pune's old architecture and was used in all the houses, temples and forts.

This is an unusual image of Ganesha, killing a demon with one of his tusks.

Loved the brick patterns...:-)

The riot of colours in Mandai, the wholesale market...

 An old library ...

The entrance to Visharmbaug wada, which was home to Peshwa Bajirao, the second.

The place was being renovated so we could see the upper floors, but I loved the vibrant colours and the wood work from whatever I could see...

An old well inside..

The Indian gargoyle outside Vishrambaugwada..Notice the motif of the banana flowers here too..:-)

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