ancient market street

The street leading from the Shiva temple on both sides, below the fort stairs connects important places in the village and was the ancient market street. The houses were two storeyed, where the ground floor was used as the shop. Wealthy merchants also had their chowkinuma houses on this street. One such profusely ornamented house located on this street is now in a state of disrepair. The house located below the temple steps was a tea shop at one time, where people spent time in the verandah. However the internal market street that was once active has now become a regular residential area due to the lack of access to a vehicular road.In the early days mules (Khacchars) would carry goods so a sloping terrain could also serve as a market street. But with the advent of vehicles, this function slowly dwindled. Today the street is still active but because of  people who tend to stop and chat with whoever is around. Along this road is a small plinth with a shrine of a much revered deity. Kids going to school use the shade spaces to sit and eat fruits, men play cards along this on extended plinths, people making their daily visit to the temple stop by to chat or to greet the grandma sitting in her rocking chair on the balcony of the former tea stall. The stone seating of this house becomes a space where women living around come in the afternoons to take a break, interact or knit.