Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market

Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market Review

Also known by its former name, Crawford Market, this building was designed in the 1860s by John Lockwood Kipling, father of Rudyard—who was born in this very neighborhood. Check out the stone relief depicting workers on the outside; the market's stone flooring supposedly came from Caithness, Scotland. Come here early one morning for a colorful walk through Mumbai's fresh-produce emporium, and if it's late spring or early summer, treat yourself to a delicious Alphonso mango, a food fit for the gods. Everything from cookies and party streamers to white mice and cane baskets are sold in other sections of the market—the meat section can be a bit hair-raising. Across the street from the market's main entrance on the west, spread across a trio of lanes, is the popular bazaar area Lohar Chawl, where the selection ranges from plastic flowers to refrigerators. Farther up the middle lane, Sheikh Memon Street, is the chaotic Mangaldas Market (closed Sunday), a covered, wholesale cloth market with a tremendous variety of fabrics at hundreds of indoor stalls.