India - the people, culture and streets of Chawri Bazaar. 

Life at Chawri.

India.
Photos & text by Gurnoor Singh.

Chawri Bazaar- One of the oldest markets of brass, copper, and paper products. It was also the first wholesale market in Delhi. The place has held on to its essence of a traditional marketplace for years and serves as a working platform for Blacksmiths, carpenters, and other craftsmen. Most of the jobs in Chawri are labor intensive, providing work to hundreds of manual laborers daily.

The chaos and spontaneity of the place attracted me, so I started documenting the marketplace. The people and their interactions with the surroundings were fascinating and ever-changing. The project presents the exploration and Serendipity of life in Chawri Bazaar and its proximities.
My start of the Project: Chawri Bazaar was the first place I went to with the Pinhole Photography Society for my first photo-walk. The first few photo-walks were just me trying to figure out my camera settings and trying to navigate the chaos of Chawri Bazaar. A few months of photo-walks helped me improve my understanding of both the camera and Chawri Bazaar. Taking photographs helped me make sense of the chaos in Chawri. It helped me find order in the chaos of the place.
I never planned to make a series of the photographs that I took at the place. My reason for clicking was to practice my photography. As Chawri is a very happening place, it was really helpful in practicing my compositions and framing in street photography. My second reason was that figuring out the chaos in Chawri was very calming for me, as it took away my attention from the constant thoughts that kept popping into my head.

In September 2022, I moved to Brighton to pursue my passion for photography. Applying what I had learned during my MA, I finally decided to compile all the work I had done in Chawri Bazaar. I started this project in 2018 and continued it through 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. The project to me is about culture, representation, and exploration— of the place that helped me understand my process of thinking and working. It is about connecting with other people and the Bazaar through photography.
As Chawri still holds on to the traditional elements the project has many underlying stories that connect me to the memories of my childhood. From Artisans to the Balloon vendors to the people putting up shows on the streets. These are some of the things that are vanishing fast as time moves forward. Although it is not the focus of the project, the photographs do go on to show the exploitation that the labourers still go through. The reason that manual labour is still preferred is that they can be hired for very cheap, and employers can get away with not investing in any safety equipment for the workers.

Photo at top: A bystander looking at the camera, framed in the horns of a passing by Ox.

Photo above: An early morning scene in the streets of Chawri Bazaar.

Photo above: The owner of a rickshaw repair shop takes a break at work.

Photo above: Labourers unloading the truck.

Photo above: A small stable amid Chawri Bazaar. The horses are hired for weddings.

Photo above: Early morning scenes, as some prepare to set their shop for the day while the rickshaw puller takes his much-needed nap before the start of his day.

Photo above left: A pile of sand lying on the side of the road.                                                                                             Photo above right: My Self-portrait in a street of Chawri Bazaar.

Photo above: Traffic in the Chawri Bazaar.

Photo above: A goat standing on a scooter.

Photo above: Labourers pulling/pushing heavy load on a hand cart.

Photo above: Balancing act.

Photo above: Labourers have breakfast at a food vendor before heading to their respective work. They sit around the vendor waiting for their food while the vendor prepares the bread. Labourers prefer having breakfast at these stalls as they can get an ample amount of food for cheap.

Photo above: The owner of a food stall at Chawri.

Photo above: Balloon Seller, Chawri Bazaar. 

Photo above: Students in classes at the Fatehpuri Masjid, situated near Chawri Bazaar.                                                                    Photo above right : Two friends pose for the camera.

Photo above: Portrait of a shop owner in Chawri Bazaar.

Thanks for reading.