We can live a moment just once.
Yet memorabilia have a way
To help us live it as many times as we say.

It is no wonder then why shopping is a must do activity on any tourist’s mind. A place like Jodhpur which lies in the culturally majestic state of Rajasthan in India is no exception to the rule. There are many markets there which can fulfil the traveller’s lust for a slice of its colourful richness. But Sardar Market tops the list. While others are specific to certain items like footwear or clothing or food, this place is an amalgamation of everything. Yet, the one thing that no internet website prepares one for and ironically enough, makes it stand out the most is what a beautiful architectural jewel it is.

Sardar Market is planned in a huge courtyard fashion as a cross, where all the shops face inwards. This can be seen as a nod to the traditional Rajasthani “haveli” style of palatial and residential planning, which always stressed on a courtyard in the centre of the house. There are entries and exits allowed from all four ends of the cross, marked by huge gateway arches. All four of these identical gateways have been designed very similarly to those found in the age-old forts and palaces of the state, adorned with pointed arches, corbels, “jharokhas” and “chhatris.” Built with red and yellow sandstone, which is amply available there, many intricate carvings can also be observed on the facades.

At the centre of the cross sits the city’s historic clock tower, fondly called the “ghata ghar” by the locals. It exudes the old-world charm, showing the time in all four directions. Visitors are allowed to go all the way up inside the tower to be explained the detailed working of the clock as well as witness an unhindered view of Jodhpur city from its topmost balcony. Seeing the majestic Mehrangarh Fort juxtapose against the one-storey Sardar Market is a spell-binding reminder of how the past and the present will together move into the future.

While the market is open from 7 AM to 8 PM, the clock tower can be accessed from 10 AM to 6 PM everyday free of cost. A visit here is totally worth it in terms of the quality, price and variety of available items. Add to that the safe aura of the place without any unwanted attention to tourists but the warmest treatment when they step into a shop. Sardar Market is the kind of place which stays in one’s heart long after one has been there, reiterating the lasting power of good architecture.

(The author is an Architect and Interior Designer with eight years of experience.)