Come one, Come all: Weekly Haats Versus Urban Civic Challenges

Did you know that in Kalimpong local farmers and vendors sell fresh organic produce along with Tibetan food and traditional handicrafts weekly? Locally called the “Bihibare Haat” as it is organised every Thursday morning, this market is a significant cultural space that sustains the local economy and community. In India, Haats are essentially open-air markets that originally emerged as rural retail hyper-markets, which have also transcended into urban spaces by facilitating trade among villages, cities and towns. These periodic markets occur weekly or fortnightly, and have historically played an important role in the transformation and growth of smaller towns. For instance, West Bengal’s Rampurhat has immensely developed from a small haat-based town into a large municipality. 

Assam’s metropolitan city, Guwahati is home to an iconic and historical bi-weekly market. Occupying the Peer Azan Fakir Road every Thursday and Sunday, the Beltola Bazaar has existed since the days of Ahom Kingdom (1228–1826 CE). This haat continues to retain its significance as a trade hub for numerous ethnic communities, fostering socio-economic exchange for villagers hailing from neighbouring parts of Meghalaya. At the intersections of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Assam, the Kanubari town’s Thursday Haat enables buying and selling of ethnic produce such as king chillies, red ant chutney, and meats among local communities.

In several border towns and villages, haats have played a crucial role in facilitating cross-border international trade with countries like Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. While trade has existed between India and Myanmar even before independence, a signed agreement on 26th September 1950 has since exempted indigenous hill tribes within a 40 km radius of the border check-point from passport requirements for trade. This was further strengthened by an MoU signed between the two countries for the establishment of border haats at Pangsau Pass and permitting trade of 62 tax-exempt commodities, including food items and motorbikes, every Friday at Arunachal’s Nampong town. However, trade has remained suspended ever since the COVID-19 pandemic and the Union Government's decision regarding reopening borders is awaited by several small traders whose livelihoods depend on these haats.

In recent times, Haats have also garnered attention in Odisha as a vital space for political campaigning. In May 2024, political leaders visited haats Koraput & Nabarangpur to reach out to a diverse voter base, especially the tribal population from remote villages who visit these haats weekly. Such a step taken by political parties have added a new perspective of understanding haats as a space that may foster socio-political interactions. Haats in the contemporary times have also become a symbol of tourism - while some are organic and historical in smaller towns, others are a synthesised version like the National Capital’s Dilli Haat. Dilli Haat is more of a permanent and formalised market that has been aesthetically modelled after traditional haat bazaars, and was inaugurated by the Delhi Tourism Department in 1994.

Plans are underway in other cities as well to establish Haats similar to that of New Delhi’s Dilli Haat. Despite having a plethora of malls and restaurants, Gurugram lacks a traditional Haat, thereby prompting the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) to plan for a ‘Gurgaon Haat’. This haat will be situated in Sector 37C near Dwarka Expressway, spread over an area of 2.4 acres. Similarly in Puducherry, beautification and revitalization of its beach promenade is set to include the construction of a Craft Bazaar modelled after Dilli Haat, that will prioritise pedestrianisation along with the promotion of handloom and handicrafts. This project is being implemented by the Department of Tourism in association with Pondicherry Municipality and PWD.

While cities are starting to realise the socio-cultural necessity of having Haat Bazaars for recreation, the informal weekly haats that have existed in cities for decades are simultaneously being viewed as disruptive to urban spaces. In Madurai, the weekly Sunday market in Bama Nagar has become a cause of inconvenience for the residents due to blocking of road access, traffic disruptions, and a lack of waste disposal that attracts animals. Previously, the weekly haat used to be located in the Uchaparambumedu neighbourhood and was relocated due to similar challenges. Likewise, Guwahati's Beltola Bazaar has become a cause of concern for the locals in the neighbourhood as haat vendors have occupied and overcrowded the main street. 

Last year in September, Trichy corporation issued a circular banning the conduct of makeshift weekly vegetable haats at five separate locations in the city. While vendors with rented stalls in the corporation’s market welcomed this move, this has limited the operations of street vendors who do not have access to pushcarts or motorised vehicles. In February 2023, the frequent emergence of informal weekly markets in Nashik’s Ring Road led to the residents demanding designated open spaces and vending zones for such purposes. While residents require such markets for their sustenance, they cite concerns regarding the unsafe location of the markets in the city’s major roads.

In organising weekly markets, resolving civic issues such as traffic management, parking requirements, and creating effective waste management strategies remain a challenge for city authorities. However, the resolution of such issues have to be balanced keeping in mind the need for socio-cultural spaces in urban areas, along with the possibility of supporting rural livelihoods and fostering community engagement. In this light, the Umeed Haat in Srinagar organised by Jammu Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM) has provided a platform to around 4.5 lakh rural Self-Help Group (SHG) members, supporting culinary, handloom, and handicraft business led by women. Similarly, under the initiative of Satwata Lodh, the Bangla Sanskritik Balay organisation has established Tripura’s first 'Sanskritik Haat' to promote local Bengali subcultures in the peripheries of Agartala. Such initiatives exemplify the potential for well-managed weekly markets that enhance urban-rural exchange in a sustainable manner.

Is there a weekly haat or a hafta bazaar in your city? What is your city government doing to preserve weekly markets while also addressing the associated civic challenges? Tell us in the comments below!