Anjuna Hippie Market in Goa, India

Every Wednesday in Goa, the place to be is in Anjuna.  Supposedly the market was started back in the 80′s by an American hippie named Eddie Mazmaniam.  The concept started simply, as a barter and trade system for used goods.  From Eddie it morphed as more Western hippies, living in the local area, showed up and began making their own stands for trading with the locals.  Fast forward 30 years later and it’s full of locals and Westerners selling everything from Russian fur caps, musical instruments, silks, trinkets, to spices and everything in between.

I have to say, it has been one of the best outdoor markets I have been to in all my travels.  There was such a chilled, laid back vibe there but at the same time it was an ultra hectic environment.  Women yelling at people as they walk by to look at their stand, to buy something, to make them a good price.  Men running up and down the paths with items balanced on their heads, moving products and goods around the market.  They even had a live band in the middle of the market, at one of the bars, playing American rock classics.  If the market becomes to much for you and you feel like you need a break, head over to the beach and get a massage, have some drinks or just lay back and relax as the sun goes down.

If your not really into shopping (which I’m not) you should still visit this market just to people watch.  It’s a perfect clash of East meets West!  You’ll find punk Russian kids buying black leather clothes, European hippies walking around barefoot and in pajamas, even Indian tourist from the big cities loading up on cheap items while on vacation.  So if you missed the 60′s or want to relive it, stop by and spend a few hours there.

• Open: Every Wednesday
• Time: From noon-6pm.  After 6pm stalls start to close up but some will stay open as late as 10pm.

Women selling silks, saris and scarfs.  Saris go from $1.10+ and a full silk dress starts out at 800Rs ($17.50) but is negotiable for lower.

A Russian lady haggles with a local Indian women over a piece of jewelry.  For women this market is a paradise!

My friend noticed how beautiful this girl was and asked her if we could get a photo of her.  She happily said yes with the condition that we look at her stand and see what she was selling.

Light shinning down through the narrow paths of the market made walking around an enjoyable experience that was very unique.

This women walked up to us and placed a red dot on our foreheads, then asked for money as a tip.  Think we gave her 10Rs ($0.22) for each person but I quickly made sure I got a photo of her first.

I don’t really know what the purpose of these stares are but I found them everywhere in the market.  It’s one of those items you see that you’d like to buy but have no reason to, or can’t carry it home.  Some things are left better at the market.

A typical stall on the main road of the market.  Any place an item can be hung it will be.  All the stalls are basic shack set-ups.

182Rs ($4.00) t-shirts.  Mostly Bob Marley, Che, Jimi Hendrix and Gandhi.

A women walks back to her stall carrying new items to sell.

Cows are everywhere in India, from the streets to the beach.  They are tame and never seem to bother anyone and it’s anyones guess who actually owns them.

A mother and her baby boy smile for us while we take photos.  We thought it was a little girl because the baby had it’s ears pierced but was corrected and told this is typical sometimes for Indian babies (boy or girl).

A lady watches customers as they pass by.  She is selling spices and tea.

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