In The Bazaars of Hyderabad Sarojini Naidu

 Osmania University Degree Sem 1

Video lesson 

Unit 1 Poetry

In The Bazaars of Hyderabad (1912) 

Sarojini Naidu

What do you sell O ye merchants ?

Richly your wares are displayed.

Turbans of crimson and silver,

Tunics of purple brocade,

Mirrors with panels of amber,

Daggers with handles of jade.

What do you weigh, O ye vendors?

Saffron and lentil and rice.

What do you grind, O ye maidens?

Sandalwood, henna, and spice.

What do you call , O ye pedlars?

Chessmen and ivory dice.

What do you make,O ye goldsmiths?

Wristlet and anklet and ring,

Bells for the feet of blue pigeons

Frail as a dragon-fly’s wing,

Girdles of gold for dancers,

Scabbards of gold for the king.

What do you cry,O ye fruitmen?

Citron, pomegranate, and plum.

What do you play ,O musicians?

Cithar, sarangi and drum.

what do you chant, O magicians?

Spells for aeons to come.

What do you weave, O ye flower-girls

With tassels of azure and red?

Crowns for the brow of a bridegroom,

Chaplets to garland his bed.

Sheets of white blossoms new-garnered

To perfume the sleep of the dead. 

Glossary

wares: articles offered for sale

crimson: a deep red

tunic: an upper garment, slightly longer than a shirt

brocade: a rich patterned fabric, typically woven with gold or silver thread

amber: a deep yellow-orange colour

dagger: a short knife with a pointed blade used for piercing or stabbing

jade: a hard green semiprecious stone pedlar: someone who travels about selling his wares

Pedlar:- a person who goes from place to place selling small items./hawker/travelling salesman

girdle: belt or cord worn around the waist

scabbard: a close-fitting cover for a dagger or a sword

citron: a kind of citrus fruit, similar to oranges ~

sarangi: a stringed musical instrument, played with a bow aeon: an immeasurably long period of time. 

aeon:- ages, long period

tassel: a bunch of decorative threads knotted at one end

azure: bright blue

chaplet: garland

new-garnered: freshly plucked

Answer the following questions in 350-400 words.

1. Describe the scene of the bazaar in your own words.

2.Elaborate in your own words how Sarojini Naidu takes the reader through the scenes of Bazaar in her poem 'In the Bazaars of Hyderabad'.? (Dec 2023/ Jan 2024) 

Answer:-

Sarojini Naidu ( 1879-1949) was born in Hyderabad, into an educated Bengali family. Her father, Aghorenath Chattopadhyay, was the principal of the Nizam’s College in Hyderabad. She participated in the Indian freedom struggle. She was elected president of the Indian National Congress ( INC)  in 1925. She advocated for women's rights and education. Gandhi called her "The Nightingale of India" ( Bharat Kokila). Sarojini Naidu first published the poem in her volume, The Bird of Time, in 1912. The poem was written during the 'Swadeshi Movement' to promote Indian goods and boycotting European made items. 

      The five stanza poem with six lines ( a sestet) is in the form of a conversation. Each stanza begins with a question, and the following lines are explanations by the vendors. Bazaar is a Persian word that means "market place." The poem appeals to the senses. It is rich in visual, auditory and gustatory imagery. 

      The poet gets the details of their items for sale from merchants, pedlars, vendors, goldsmiths, fruit men, musicians, magicians, and flower girls. The merchant gives details regarding the articles displayed in their shops, i.e., the turbans,  mirrors with panels of amber and daggers, as well as tunics of purple brocade. Next, the speaker wants to know from the vendors the things they weigh. The vendors reply that they are weighing saffron, lentil and rice.

The poet asks maidens, and pedlars about the goods that they are selling. The speaker asks the goldsmiths what they make. Goldsmiths make wristlets, anklets, rings, and bells for the feet of pigeons. The bells are as thin as dragonfly's wings. They also make girdles of gold for dancers and gold scabbards for the king. 

In stanza 4, the speaker enquires about three different types of instruments and fruits. Citrus, pomegranate, and plum fruits are sold by fruit men. Musicians play instruments such as the sitar, sarangi, and drum.  

Finally, the speaker asks the flower girls how they are weaving with bright blue and red tassels. They're also making crowns for the bridegroom's brow and garlands to decorate the bridegroom's bed for wedding night. The flower girls are also making sheets of freshly brought white flowers to add fragrance to the dead man's body. 

Here the poet presents the contrasting events, wedding and death, in the life humans. The wedding is a joyful event whereas death is a saddest event.

The poet gives a vivid picture of bazaars and rich heritage of India.

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 Short Answer Questions for Internal exam

1.What is the primary theme of the poem "In the Bazaars of Hyderabad"?

Answer: B) The vibrancy of Indian bazaars

2.What do the flower-girls weave in the poem?

Ans:- Garlands of marigold, Tassels of blue, and crowns for the brow of bridegroom,

3.What are the fruit items sold by the fruitmen?

Ans:-  Citron, Pomegranate and plum

4.What do the vendors weigh?

Saffron, lentil and rice.

5.What do goldsmiths make?

Wristlet, anklet, ring and bells for the feet of blue pigeons.

6.What did Gandhiji call Sarojini Naidu?

Ans- The Nightingale of India ( Bhatat Kokila)