To Market ,To Market

I took these photos on one our trips

into the city in January.

These horse drawn buggies are called tongas.

They are the poor man' s transport.

Usually meant for villagers coming into the city.

But they are restricted to certain areas.

I feel bad for this horse.

His load is rather heavy.

This is an old part of town called Katra.


As we passed through the narrow streets
on our rickshaw
a poem by George MacDonald came to mind



The Streets I Feared To See by George MacDonald
I said: "Let me walk in the field;" God said: "Nay, walk in the town;" I said: "There are flowers there;" He said: "No flowers, but a crown."
I said: "But the sky is black, There is nothing but noise and din;" But He wept as He sent me back, "There is more," He said, "there is sin."
I said: "But the air is thick, And fogs are veiling the sun." He answered: "Yet souls are sick, And souls in the dark undone."
I said: "I shall miss the light, And friends will miss me, they say," He answered me, "Choose tonight, If I am to miss you, or they."
I pleaded for time to be given; He said: "Is it hard to decide? It will not seem hard in heaven To have followed the steps of your Guide."
I cast one look at the fields, Then set my face to the town; He said: "My child, do you yield? Will you leave the flowers for the crown?"
Then into His hand went mine And into my heart cam He; And I walk in a light Divine, The streets I had feared to see.
George MacDonald (1824-19050)

This poor stray calf looks so pathetic

The Katra market is moderately priced.

Everything is available here at a slightly

lower price and you can bargain too.

But its far from my home,

so what I can save would be

spent on transport.

Cheap clothes, toys, ornaments and stationary.

Fans are sold at a discount during the winter months.

Fancy dresses and sarees for festival time.

The mannequins beckon all.

On Feb.27th

our Finance Minister presented this

year 's Union Budget in Parliament.

It does not do much for the common man.

Fuel prices have gone up,which is triggering

a general price rise

for all commodities.

Shoe on sale

A child selling artificial flowers at the intersection.

Let me give you some stats.

Below is the increase in prices between March 2009 & Jan 2010

Sugar up 47.6%

Pulses & lentils up 37.6%

Onions up by 30.3%

Processed food up by 17.2%

Wheat up 16.2%

Potato up 14.4%

Milk up by 13.2%

Cotton textile up12.1%

Fruits 10.9% up

Fuel and power up by 10.8%
This means survival of the fittest

or richest.

Handmade mattresses and quilts.

You can also see hand beaten cotton

on the side which is used to

stuff the mattresses.

We passed by the Katra Mission Church.

It was Presbyterian, but now

its owned by

The Church of North India.

We also went to visit a pastor 's family who lives on

the premises of the

Mary Wanamaker School for Girls

My Mother taught in this High School

for 42 years. She received her High School

education here before moving on to university.

Some of my aunts studied and taught here too.
The school is more than 100 years old.

The old dorm building looks

like a castle.

Part of the dorm garden.

We spent many happy

childhood days here

visiting our aunts who had

comfortable apartments

in the dorm area.

Later on the Principal held a Wednesday Bible Study

in her large and spacious living room.

My parents and sometime us girls use to attend.

The John Wanamaker Stores of New York

donated money to establish a girl 's school in

North India more than a 100 years ago

when female education was nearly unheard of.

Presbyterian missionaries started this work.

Now its a very popular girl 's school with

more than 2000 students

from K-12.