On Fakirs!

Shri Chandrababu Naidu detractors may like or not, peasant markets he pioneered is still preferred by commoners for fresh vegetables and fruits; though oflate traders have set in to mar the functioning of such bazars. Still, we frequent those bazars for being afraid of fresh outlets (ironically, Naidu himself brought in Fresh shops).

People have rightly observed lack of freshness in such shops titled as fresh. Hyderabadis wherever they are, pick up greens whenever they see such rayot (peasant) bazars. Last Sunday when we were passing through Alwal stopped at its Rayot Bazar to pick up some Shiva Ratri essentials and green vegetables. While Anjali was meticulously picking up greens, I was observing the market place.

A Fakir suddenly appeared in crowd.- saint engaged in eulogizing Allah and seeking blessings for its clients in exchange of some expectations that could be a rupee only. The tribe is less seen in today's Hyderabad. Fakir with a striped multicolor lungi, a kurta covered by a sleeve-less brown jacket with enough signatures of its years of existence, pagadi over head that casts shadow on face held by a patch of beard that has stubbornly stopped to grow, half erased pair of sandals, tattered bag in one hand and a bunch of peacock feathers in other hand wander and wander from doors to doors from dawn to dusk. In past, these wandering monks must have much social acceptance than what they have now. People now as usual doubts on authenticity of wandering monks, so also for Fakirs (in fact we doubt our own shadows being much security conscious)!

Interestingly, for the Fakir I spotted on Sunday the life is not much changed. He was going through all the shops. And shopkeepers with acceptance were offering either a coin or a handfull of greens. He came to a series of vendors merchandising with chillies. One after other went on offering chillies and the Fakir has to say benignly of his plight with chillies. And then the ladies assured him coins after few hours once they picked up business for the day.

It was amazing at the accommodating nature of these lady petty traders. They knew the Fakir needs the offerings; probably they also believe Fakir comes with blessings of Allah! What a wonderful belief for co-existence!