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One of the unique things about living in the Chandigarh tri-city area is the vegetable market — or what we lovingly call the mandi.
It’s been 15 years since I became a regular at these mandis, and I still remember my first visit vividly.
Back then, coming from the Delhi side, it was quite an unusual experience for me.
For those unfamiliar with the Chandigarh tri-city area, a mandi can be described as a vegetable market that operates on different days of the week in different sectors. These mandis are set up by groups of vegetable vendors — most of whom are farmers themselves — selling their produce directly to customers. The fruits and vegetables here are fresher and cost less compared to shops or supermarkets. At least, that’s what I’ve come to understand over the years.
Coming from Meerut, I had never seen such an organized system for something as simple as buying vegetables. In Chandigarh, even this everyday activity has been given a structure — very much in line with the city’s reputation for planning and order.
For me, living in Sector 38, the Sector 40 mandi is the closest one. It’s held twice a week — on Wednesdays and Saturdays. There’s also a mandi in Sector 38 on Sundays, but in my experience, the Sector 40 mandi offers a greater variety of fruits and vegetables.
On Sundays, there’s also a mandi in Sector 34, which has an even wider variety of fruits — though it’s a bit more expensive than the others. I think this is because Sector 34 attracts a crowd of government officials and senior officers. The area has that kind of demographic, and while Chandigarh is full of affluent people, many of them find Sundays the most convenient day for such errands.
So, for middle-class people like me (forgive me, folks), the Sector 38 mandi feels most suitable — both in price and vibe. I find a lot of people like me there, and that’s comforting in its own way.
Over time, I’ve also explored other mandis in the tri-city area — the one in Sector 42, the Phase 9 mandi near Fortis Hospital in Mohali (held on Sundays), and another around Phase 2, which operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I can’t recall the exact location, but it’s somewhere between the WWICS office in Phase 2 and Sector 40. If anyone remembers the name of that place, do remind me! I’ve even visited the Phase 5 mandi a few times too.
Living in Meerut, I was never really into eating fruits — and that habit stuck with me for quite a while. But thanks to my wife’s repeated insistence, I’ve slowly started including some fruits in my diet.
Apples are my favorite. At the mandis, I always look for slightly greenish, tight apples that the sellers often call Shimla apples. They may not look shiny or perfect, but they have that satisfying crunch and a faint green hue inside. I’m not talking about green apples — I actually don’t like those — but the ones that are red and just a little under-ripe. You know what I mean?
Lately, I’ve started feeling the need for fruits more than ever. After I got infected with COVID-19 during the second wave, I began to feel like I had aged faster than I should have. Even after recovery, I felt about five years older — with aches in places that never hurt before. I noticed I would tire or get exhausted much quicker than before.
That’s when I realized I needed to supplement my diet. I started craving fruits — bananas when I felt a sugar low, or grapes when I wanted something refreshing. And that’s how my visits to the mandis became more frequent.
Coincidentally, just before I got COVID, my brother-in-law — who lives in Spain — had bought a pack of multivitamins for both of us, called Opti-Men. After recovering, I started taking them regularly, and slowly realized they were helping me feel less tired. On the days I skipped them, the fatigue would return.
But after a few months, another realization struck me — multivitamins are ultimately chemicals. They’re useful for immediate recovery, yes, but in the long run, it’s better to rely on natural sources for vitamins and minerals. That’s when I started making a conscious effort to eat more fruits.
This reminded me of something from long ago — around 2003 or 2004, when I was working as a medical representative. My area manager once told me, “You should always eat seasonal fruits. Not much — just a little bit every day.”
Back then, I was young, energetic, and full of life. I liked the idea, but never took it seriously. Now, after all these years, I truly understand the wisdom behind his words.
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