by Keya Gupta

Sarojini Naidu, known as Bharat Kokila or the Nightingale of India, was a poet, freedom fighter, and the first woman governor of an Indian state. Her lyrical poems captured India’s everyday beauty and culture, and earned her lasting fame.

One of her most beautiful poems is ‘In the Bazaars of Hyderabad’, which captures the rich life and colours of India. Her speciality lay in writing so vividly that even today we can step into that long-ago bazaar in our minds and feel it come fully alive.   

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In the Bazaars of Hyderabad

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, 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 the dancers,
Scabbards of gold for the kings.

What do you cry, O ye fruit merchants? 
Citron, pomegranate, and plum. 
What do you play, O ye musicians? 
Sitar, sarangi, and drum. 
What do you chant, O ye magicians? 
Spells for the 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. 

The poem uses rich imagery to paint clear pictures of goods like crimson turbans, henna-tinted palms, saffron, and roses for temple crowns, making the market feel real and close. Even in silent reading, its rhythmic structure and repeated sounds, like vendor calls of “What do you sell?”, bring to mind the noises of bargaining, talking, and music. 

At a time when India was under British rule, which disregarded Indian vibrancy and saw it as a resource to exploit, this poem was a quiet dissent, as it showed local crafts, festivals, and daily life with pride, offering a positive, sensory portrait of India’s cultural depth. 

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