If you are a traveller who loves learning about people and the cultural heritage of the places you go, then visiting a marketplace is a great way to begin your journey. This time when you are in Goa, add to your list of things to do, a visit to Mapusa Friday Market which is probably the only traditional market place in Goa.
No one knows when exactly Mapusa market had become popular exclusively for its Friday market, but this busy town has always been an important market place in North Goa. The Mapusa Municipal market area, located right next to the Mapusa bus stand is very conveniently located and could be one of the reasons for its thriving trade and commerce. This place especially comes alive every Friday with vendors and farmers selling their home-grown produce in their makeshift shops. The place throngs with the local residents and people from the nearby towns who come to buy and stock local produce for economical rates.
I never miss going at least a couple of times to the Friday market during the summer months. It is a treat to one’s epicurean eye, the display of home grown vegetables, fruits, pulses, fresh and dried fish and home ware such as earthen pots and vessels, locally made iron pots and pans and domestic tools, locally woven coir ropes and mats, brooms made with coconut leaf stalks etc. March to May, the market is filled with raw mangoes and sacks of red chillies and other necessary condiments required for pickle-making. Goa observes annual fishing ban during the monsoon months of June-August as it is the spawning time for fish and also is risky to sail on choppy seas. Hence people buy and store dried fish to last the season. Woven bunches of shallots, chillies, seedless tamarind, dried and deseeded kokum fruit, strings of the spiced and marinated Goan pork sausages called Chouriҫo and certain condiments used in the local cuisine are bought in large quantities by many Goans as the wet months don’t offer good produce.
Rosy, a woman from Pernem who has a permanent shop in the market that sells earthen ware, is happy that even during summer she has good business with people coming to buy earthen. In spite of having a refrigerator at home, many prefer cool water stored in these earthen pots especially during the hot days of April and May. Along with these, she also sells many other earthen containers and cookware that the Goans use to prepare food. Kashinath, another vendor who comes every Friday to sell his coir ropes and coconuts, seems happy with his temporary space for the day. He makes and sells coir ropes of different thickness and is one of the few in the area to have such a variety. Comfortably seated and protected by his huge umbrella on that sunny morning, Kashinath proudly explains his routine. “I make all these ropes at home and sell them usually from home. On Friday, I come here to make a little extra money as I make brisk business here. When I am busy, my wife or mother take my place.”
Besides the local products, the market is filled with shops that sell inexpensive clothes, colorfully embroidered bedspreads and quilts, steel kitchen ware, kitchen and garden tools etc sold by sellers who come from other states. Bargain smartly to get good deals for some of these items.
In spite of the continuous flow of crowd and the swift and busy trade that takes place throughout the week and especially on a Friday, the market is kept clean by the Mapusa Municipality. Traffic is a little haphazard on a Friday but there are paid parking lots managed by the municipality personnel who can assist you with a parking slot. Most of the local vendors understand and speak basic English and help you make your purchases patiently. On a hot and humid day, be sure to wear comfortable cotton clothes and a hat. Visit the market early so you can avoid both the milling crowd as well as the heat of the day. But whatever the time of your visit, the market is sure to leave a few worthwhile memories to carry back.