Valiyangadi: A place which has not changed
The oldest functioning market in Kerala for centuries has not changed the way it operates. No one knows when the bazaar was constructed but the story is related to the Zamorins who felt the need to have a passage between the pier & the local market near the Palace. So the Bazaar was not a single structure but kept adding to its design over centuries. This passage was made to facilitate trade between merchants & the masses. The market was designed in such a way that trade was smooth & each merchant knew where to sell his goods. The godowns were built close to the pier to store the goods so that it was easy to store as they came from ships. The merchant shops were on both sides of the road so that people could see the goods & decide on the purchase. The long corridors were built to make the access of carts easier which would carry the goods. The smaller merchants would be further away. The fresh produce goods like fruits & vegetables would be close to the palace & local residential quarters.
The merchants & accountants still make calculations over the counters using the old system of finger code language in order to overcome the problem of noise. Muslim, Jain, Sindhis, Hindus Seths, Gujarathi Marwaris, Tamil & Andhra Chettis are still present here. Most of the shops which were present during the Zamorins' time have not changed how they look; you will still find the doors made of wooden shutters.
The market has stayed prosperous for centuries & there is a legend behind it. It's said that the First Secretary of Zamoin Raja, Mangatt Achan was successful in pleasing the Goddess of Wealth – Lakshmi to appear before him after a strict penance. Lakshmi offered him a boon, he asked for her to stay in the bazaar till he returned & she accepted it. He after receiving the boon went home & committed suicide to never come back & Lakshmi as to her word stayed in the bazaar forever. This story may be a legend but it does provide the merchants confidence to keep doing business without a slump. During the day it’s a very busy bazaar as trucks laden with goods load & unloads. The sights & sounds are very unique to this bazaar, follow any one loader worker to see how the old traditional method of loading is followed till today where usage of machines is limited & the brute power of human will is available to see. Huge gunny bags are still laden on the heads of the loaders & they have a great map in their head to navigate between shops. The loaders are paid on a daily basis & merchants keep a ledger to make payments accordingly.
The sight of the Bazaar is completely different on Sundays when no trading happens & this bustling road becomes devoid of trucks which give one an eerie feel with no bustle or hustle. In 1930 the British constructed the current long concrete road that connects the South beach to the Railway station junction. The goods in the market vary from food grains, pulses, provisions, coconut, oil, ayurvedic materials to plastics today. It is said that during the British era a Gun shop was also functional here which sold guns & ammunition to the police & landlords. The market also once traded in Tobacco & the large godowns which are called pandikasala horde a large quantity of goods for traders around the state. The Valiangadi may be designated as the 1.5 km stretch of road but the pandikasalas along the beach were also part of the market during the Zamorins' time. The pandikasalas along the beach were mostly used as stables for horses. When ships docked at the ‘T’ pier of the sea bridge, horses would jump into the water & run towards the stables while the cranes offloaded goods. Today the old stables are gone & have been converted to coconut collection centers which have grown to a larger business. The market is a place for traders to buy in bulk from the merchants & the goods are displayed for one to see before buying. Walk into any merchant's shop & you will have a good understanding of what to buy & how much.
The bazaar on a working day is truly a place to experience trade and human endurance. The head loaders who carry the gunny bags of goods are the lifeline of the market & their unique way of work is unparalleled to any other human feat. Though the market today has bettered its infrastructure with wider roads & better arterial lanes the way of life still has the heritage look & sound to it.
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