In The Bazaars of Hyderabad, Revisited
Madhumita Gopalan's visualizations of the Lad Bazar and Charminar area during Ramadan (click here for other pictures):
"...I'll leave you with this poem by Sarojini Naidu called "In The Bazaars of Hyderabad", that beautifully describes the Charminar experience :)
What do you sell, O ye merchants ?
Richly your wares are displayed.
Turbans of crimson and silver,
Tunics of purple brocade,
Mirror with panels of amber,
Daggers with handles of jade.
What do you weigh, O ye vendors?
Saffron and lentil and rice.
What do you grind, O ye maidens?
Sandalwood, henna, and spice.
What do you call , O ye pedlars?
Chessman and ivory dice.
What do you make, O ye goldsmiths?
Wristlets and ankles and ring,
Bells for the feet of blue pigeons
Frail as a dragonfly's wing,
Girdles of gold for dancers,
Scabbards of gold for the king.
What do you cry, O ye fruitmen?
Citron, pomegranate, and plum.
What do you play, O ye magicians?
Spells for aeons to come.
What do you weave, O ye flowergirls
With tassels of azure and red?
Crowns for the brow of a bridegroom,
Chaplets to garland his bed,
Sheets of white blossoms new-garnered
To perfume the sleep of the dead."
--Sarojini Naidu
Another Blogger, Gautam Valluri's comment on the above poem:
"In The Bazaars of Hyderabad is a classic poem by Sarojini Naidu which I first read in school. Coincidentally, Sarojini Naidu was also a student of my school- St.George’s Grammar School, Hyderabad."
