If there’s one place to which the genesis of foreign tourism in Goa can be easily linked, it’s the Anjuna flea market, which comes alive every Wednesday.
A small clearing amid a coconut grove by the Anjuna beach, the flea market which started off in the late sixties and early seventies as a place hippies used to assemble every Wednesday to trade foreign goods like cigarettes, music players, gramophone discs, clothes, leather wear, books, is now a buzzing market place, of far greater magnitude than it once was.
Old timers recall, how the flea market in Anjuna was the place to be, if you wanted a bargain from hippies and other cash-strapped foreigners keen on making a quick sale, on foreign-made stuff. This was the place to be in those times, when imported goods were a rarity in India.
The Anjuna flea market today however has taken on a different persona. While it was once an underground activity, it has now found endorsement both from the government agencies as well as the thousands of tourists who flock here every Wednesday.
From colourful clothes, to chunky jewellery and trinkets, from multiple cuisines, to artistic leather wear to music to other bohemian trappings, the Anjuna flea market has evolved as a place to hang out.
Although getting there, through the narrow road which via the Anjuna post office, is a bit of an ordeal considering every second person in the area makes a beeline to the market on Wednesday, once there, what you do not lack is parking space and a dearth of things to do through the day. Once it’s evening and the vendors beat a retreat, there’s always Anjuna beach, where you can bid adieu to the sun and grab a spell of swimming. Alongside, within walking distance are several beach shacks which have a surprisingly good food and beverage offerings and trance music galore.
Where: Located in Anjuna, the flea market is around 20 kms from Panaji and 10 from Mapusa.
How to get there: Ideally commuting on a two wheeler is best. Use a four wheeler if you have the patience to negotiate the roads which are always cramped for space, considering its Wednesday.
What to do: Shop, eat, browse, hang out. And once it over and done with, there’s always the sand and the sea.
