Mapusa Friday Market, Goa India
Mapusa Friday Market is the most famous market place of Goa and located outside the Mapusa Municipal Market at Mapusa, Bardez, North Goa, India. Do not get confused by the word “Friday” because Mapusa Friday Market opens everyday except Sunday. But in Friday the business at Mapusa Friday Market gets really big. Local farmers and traders from entire Goa come to this market especially on Friday to sell their products to the consumers. Also farmers who sell vegetables do not turn up on Tuesday.
The history of Mapusa Friday Market dates back to 16th century when it was known as Bazzar Grande as some old Portuguese or Dutch documents reveal. It is believed that the name of this market town originates from two local Konkani words – “maap” (to measure) and “sa” (to fill).
Bodgeshwar Temple is situated at Mapusa. Morjee Temple and Kalika Temple are two other temples situated at Mapusa. Two very famous beaches of Goa namely Anjuna Beach and Baga Beach is located near Mapusa Friday Market. Vegetables sold at this market are really fresh as local women bring their home grown vegetables to sell in this market.
List of products and items that the vendors sell in this market is really enormous, if not endless. Usually vendors selling similar type of items sit together. Vegetables are mostly available at the Southern gate of the Market.
Products are available at cheaper rate at this market compared to other markets like Anjuna Market or Calangute market. You will get almost everything in this market from fresh fruits, vegetables, beans and lentils, flowers, Seedless tamarind (local name is “amot”), pork sausages both spices and marinated, jewellery, pottery, spice, carpet, dry fish, home-made chouriço, curios and even old coins. The pottery wares of Mapusa Market had a great reputation in the past but now-a-days the demand of pottery wares has reduced. You will also get good terracotta pots and ashtrays.
Where dry fish is sold be ready to be greeted with very bad odor. Dried sea foods mainly prawn, Bombay duck, Parra, etc. are available in the Mapusa Friday market. Chicken, pork and beef is available in all meat shops.
Spices demand a special attention as there are variety of spices is available here. Turmeric, Nutmeg and Cinnamon, red Chillis are just to name a few. They also sells some spice mixtures popularly known as “Masala” like Chaat Masala, Onion Masala, Chana Masala. These masalas are used to make your curry tastier though too much spice may not be good at all for your health. Even saffron is also available here. Remember Saffron is very costly spice. So get yourself informed about the price of saffron before buying it. Paan or beetle nut is sold in huge quantities.
Metal items like choppers and sickles are also sold and bottles, plates, jugs and cooking pots are also sold in this market.
Another interesting thing about this market is that you can watch the villagers of Goa in their traditional colorful dress. So in this market you can watch the village life of Goa.
In the associated video you will see the Mapusa Friday Market on a Friday in the month of September, 2014.
Here are some images of the Mapusa Friday Market:
