Sunday Santhai

During my recent travel to Thiruvannamai attending my father’s friend daughter marriage, I come across a Sunday Santhai (market), where livestock’s and agriculture products are brought to sale by farmers from the surrounding villages at a public place. The Sunday Santhai is very famous among rural villages and it is the only place for local farmers to buy and sell their produce and the Santhai is also gathered on Wednesdays.

A scene near the market where an old man diving the goats to market. 

There are many Santhais in Tamil Nadu renowned for specific products and the Manaparai Mattu Santhai between Tiruchi-Dindigul highway is popular for bulls and Pollachi host the second largest market in the country doing business at coconuts and cash crops at intense. The Tamil Nadu government has also developed ‘Uzhavar Santhai’ (farmers market) in each district and little towns for the benefit of farmers to sell their products directly to consumers than middleman who exploit both as well.

We passed the market while driving towards Thiruvannamal after attending the marriage and the market was at its peak business and the place was crowded to unable to stop and take photos, so we shot few of them from moving car. Both sides of the road were parked by bikes and bicycles and we witness number of cattle brought to sell and being Sunday there are many meat and fish stalls installed allover… and there’s one of a dried fish stall above.