By Japan K Pathak, Ahmedabad, 9 February 2014

I have been paying visits to Gujari Bazar for last many years, primarily to purchase good books. Many times I find rare books that are out of the print at Gujari Bazar. I can safely say, I have purchased more books from Guzari bazar than from book shops.

Last week when I heard news on Modi inaugurating new improved version of Gujari Bazar, I thought, “OK there could be some improvement,” but when I paid visit to revamped version of Gujari Bazar, I was shocked! Not me, many other regular visitors to Gujari Bazar were shocked.

First of all let me say what is Gujari Bazar. It’s a haat style of bazar where none shop has a banner or name. Gujari Bazar takes place every Sunday on bank of river Sabarmati, just next to Ellis bridge (renamed as Swami Vivekananda Bridge) on eastern side. It’s a weekly shopping festival for poor people. A few thousand visitors come to Gujari Bazar throughout the day. Sellers too are poor to lower middle class people.

For years, I was seeing same style of Gujari Bazar. It was inconvenient so park a vehicle on road side, walk from the end of the bridge to river bank through narrow lane and too much crowd inside congested market venue.

It was unimaginable that this situation could change, as things just don’t change in India and ‘status quo’ is rule of the land, and ‘jaise chalta hai aise chalne do’ is general mentality.

And my visit to new Gujari Bazar today was fruitful, because here I found the situation changed, status Quo crushed and ‘jaise chalta hai aise chalne do’ mentality defeated.

Instead of road-side parking next to bridge, I could now drive to river bank and park my vehicle in a large parking lot. Instead of naked soil, the Bazar now takes place over concrete floor. Instead of squeezed square shape, the Bazar takes place in straight line shape initially, and rectangle shape later on. Slums are removed and slum dwellers are relocated to newly built pucca housing. The vacant area has been allocated to Riverfront market. The market is not congested anymore. One can walk freely without untouched. Thanks to more space, good parking lot now one can bring children here. More educated middle-class people, children, foreign tourists and youngones from west Ahmedabad could be seen visiting the market. I think in news few months perception and image of the market will change. It will attract many more visitors belonging to newer classes.

Gone are the days when I had to conclude my visit due to lack of urinal facility in Gujari Bazar. There are now two-three structures facilitating it, they are very specious, beautifully built and managed. Outside one such urinal blocks, they have put several pictures of Gujari Bazar’s journey through decades. Urinal structures have special section for differently-abled people.

Alain de Botton has written book titled as “The Architecture of Happiness”. As a fan of this book and of Gujari Bazar too, I was curious about how traders are responding to this new facility. I found each of the traders I met was cheerful today. Couple of book-sellers had declared discount today. Regular visitors were congratulating sellers for having better market.

As a journalist who writes on political affairs, I could sense positiveness for present government among sellers and visitors, many of them Muslims and poors belonging to backward class.

I will say it again. After visiting this Bazar today, I am very much convinced that things can be changed.

In pictures: New IIMA flyover, River front market, Dhobi ghat and Modi’s speech video(recommended)

More photos/videos of new garden at Sabarmati river front

With Photos: Boating at Sabarmati river front receives good response

In pictures and video: Narendra Modi boards speed boat at Sabarmati river front