A Day in Ajmer: Market Scenes and Light Shopping

Greetings of the day,

Today was a light but good day in Ajmer. Got up early in the morning because the hustle and bustle of the streets outside the hotel automatically pulls you out. A cool breeze was blowing and the aroma of fresh tea was spreading at the small roadside dhabas. Stopped there and had a glass of tea and a light breakfast. Morning tea perfectly set the mood for the whole day.

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After tea I feel like roaming around a bit so I set out on foot towards the market side. The morning streets of Ajmer were bustling with activity as usual-small shopkeepers opening their shops fruit vendors decorating their baskets, and the smell of spices wafting from the grocers' doors.

As we moved a little further we saw many shops of men's accessories. Out of curiosity I went inside. Various types of rings, kada, cufflinks and finger accessories were kept there in many varieties. An entire wall was just filled with rings—black stone ones, steel ones, ones with engraved designs and some fancy colored ones too. I also liked them, so I tried two-three rings and finally I liked three and bought them. One of the rings had beautiful gold-style engraving on it, which looked good at first glance.

After this, a clothes shop was seen, where check shirts and denim jackets were hanging. The shop was quite small, but the variety was good. I looked at some shirts and liked one with a check pattern. I liked its colour, fabric and fitting, so I bought that too. The shopkeeper had clearly written – “Fix Rate, No Bargaining” – so the purchase was done without any hassle.

The crowd in the market had started increasing, and while walking, I was also feeling hungry. Going ahead, we saw a small local restaurant where dishes like biryani, dal-rice, vegetables and paya were also available. One big thing there was that the food was very cheap and tasted good. I tried a light biryani and a fresh roti-looking non-type bread. The roti was very soft and the masala of biryani was absolutely home-like. Simple, but filling.

After dinner, bought some fresh fruits from the fruit vendor outside. The fruits here are always fresh, and the thing I like about the market is that everything is easily available. After some time, we saw a sweet shop and then how could we move forward without buying sweets? So ate a light sweet as per the season. The shopkeeper had said that it was freshly made, and it was also evident from the taste.

After this he kept roaming around the market casually. Some places were full of colorful decorations, some shops were old in which the charm of old Ajmer is still felt. Many times, you remember the small things seen on the way more than the destination – the smell coming from a shop, a tea vendor sitting at a turn, a conversation, a child's voice. Today's day was also filled with those small moments.

While returning with shopping bags, I realized that the evening was slowly beginning. The sounds of the market started decreasing a little but the lights of the shops started increasing. This kind of contrast always feels good—the hustle and bustle of the day and a little peace of the evening. Didn't do much today, but roaming, seeing, eating and buying a little - all this together makes a good travel day.

There is a different beauty in the simplicity of Ajmer. There is something new to see here every day—sometimes architecture, sometimes people, sometimes food, and sometimes just a random market walk sets your mood right. Today was also a similar day – simple but memorable.