Picture Guide to Coonoor Market

Coonoor is a sweet little planter's town in the Blue Mountains, also known as the Nilgiris. The bazaar or market here is a 3 minute walk from the train station and is most definitely worth a stroll when you're in the vicinity. If you are a tourist, please don't go hoping to do some amazing shopping to take back home. Unlike Ooty, this is a bazaar that caters to the needs of the locals only.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Nazarpattus or Evil Eye Deflectors :) These are put above doors and at entrances to ward off the evil eye

The Coonoor market is a fascinating cluster of tiny lanes, that blowout with color and commodities. Farm fresh produce, meats, groceries, clothes (no big brands-- just stuff for the locals), hardware, garden equipment, animal ornaments and other things that you need to lead a comfortable life in the Nilgiris. If kitsch is your thing though, and you have a good eye, you could pick up some interesting knick knacks like shockingly bright plastic bags and baskets that can be used as funky handbags. Or to stack towels or even flowers in them. There are also some cool nazarpattus or decorations that ward off the evil eye. Weather you believe in them or not, they are nice to look at and you could find a place for them on a nice colored wall at home. I also especially like the cattle ornaments. They are a really nice element to use as a big embellishment on a brass pot, a bag or even your hair, if you wear them long.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Another thing to pick up at the market is some fresh fruit. Don't miss the bananas as there is a shop that only specializes in stocking a huge variety of them. Sample as many as you can! If you have your own kitchen, then go for the amazing vegetables. The variety is mind blowing and I am still learning their names, as I have not seen many of them in north India. There's one shop that only sells greens and they are absolutely delightful.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

The lovely banana shop. And yes, you get them in all these colors. The image is not Photoshopped!

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

For the meat eaters, the market is quite an unexpected paradise. Everything from fresh chicken, beef and mutton is available here. The shopkeepers are happy to give you a variety of cuts and are quite skilled at doing so, as the local planters have a legacy of proudly carrying their discerning palates to their meat plates. Also, on the whole, people here absolutely love their meats. Especially the red meats. A word of caution though. I almost fainted the first time I walked through the meaty part of the market. The butcher shops here hang the full carcasses on display and one can often see people carrying one on their back, through the streets. It's bloody business and if you don't have the stomach for it, steer clear from this part.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Latif's Chicken Shop. Claim to fame: Only chicken shop that sells chicken lollipops!

As for the fish-o-philes, it can't get better than this in the entire Nilgiris. Fresh catch is regularly flown in from the nearby coast of Kerala and there is a vast choice of fish available. Prawns and crabs are also easy to grab, but don't expect anything more eclectic than that. No shellfish, scallops, oysters etc simply because the locals don't seem to have an appetite for those things! They do seem to love their dry fish though and it's amply available here.