Chickpet has a buzz and an energy you will not find in any mall. Its narrow lanes are noisy and jammed with bovine traffic, humans, floating mannequins, shops as old as time and sights and sounds that sum up old Bengaluru like nothing else. ith a history dating back to 400 years, Chickpet packs in shops that sell silver and gold jewellery, clothes, sarees, curios and collectibles you cannot categorise easily. Most of all, the market is teeming with human stories Christina Kitti documents some of them in a photo essay.
Arun Kumar
I
make sweets that sell the most during festive seasons but on most days, it is a struggle as people prefer to buy from shops. That is why I try to make the business run with reasonable prices like Rs 50 to Rs 100 per kg.
Mohammed Anwar I am from Bihar and sell handicrafts that are from Assam. I buy them from a wholesale market and display them on parked bikes. Each item is around Rs 200-Rs 300 and I earn around Rs 2000 everyday.
Trimurthy
I am a cloth merchant and sell fabrics and crochet dresses sourced from Andhra Pradesh.
I earn about Rs 4000 to Rs 5000 on a good day. I am here for the last eight years, doing the same thing. This is my life.
Satish Kumar
During the Varmahalakshmi festival, I sell dresses and ornaments for goddess Lakshmi and a full set costs Rs 100. During other festivals, we sell decorative stuff for pujas.