Poised between what was once
the British Fort and the local town, Crawford Market has elements of both.
It's a blend of Flemish and Norman architecture with a bas relief depicting
Indian peasants in wheat fields just above the main entrance The freize,
incidentally, was designed by Lockyard Kipling, father of the famous Rudyard
Kipling, and the Kiplings' cottage still stands next to the JJ School
of Art across the road. Opposite. Now named after a local patriot called
Jyotiba Phule, Crawford Market looks like something out of Victorian London,
with its sweet smell of hay and 50 ft high skylit awning that bathes the
entire place in natural sunlight. Mountains of fruit and fresh vegetables
are sold here at wholesale rates. Next door there's also a meat and poultry
section along with stalls selling smuggled cheese and chocolate!
|