Choir Bazaar: Diebesmarkt in Mumbai - photojournal & travel guide

Choir Bazaar: Diebesmarkt in Mumbai - photojournal & travel guide

The choir Bazaar Mumbai literally means "Thiefsmarkt Mumbai". A walk through this busy bazaar is like stepping on the side of Gregory David Roberts Shantaram. Read for a short photo report about the choir bazaar, which also contains a section about how you can get here.

According to legend, if you ever lose something in India's most populous city, you can buy it back on the choir bazaar.

deep in the concrete labyrinth of Mumbai's historic roads is a fascinating flea market that is known as a Mumbais thief market. Although it may sound like a secret underground network, the Bazaar choir is open to the public of Mumbai and for tourists.

When I opened myself to find Mumbais famous Thieves Market, I was not looking for stolen jewelry or falsifications. I had read a lot about his unique story and itchy to explore and photograph this unique phenomenon. In this article I tell the story of Mumbais Choir Bazaar through my lens and also add some details so that you can find it yourself.

Are you looking for ideas for your trip to India? Perhaps you would also like to see this comprehensive packing list for India to find out what you should bring with you and what not! I also wrote a very comprehensive 1-month India route, which covers an epic, rapid travel route as well as a series of information and tips that will prove to be useful when planning your journey!
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About the Bazaar choir: Thieves Market in Mumbai

As with most known local legends, there are a number of theories about how the history of the choir bazaar started. One theory says that Queen Victoria's violin had disappeared from her ship during her visit to Bombay. Of course, the violin appeared together with some other objects on the "Thieves Market".

Another fascinating history of origin, albeit without climatic theater, tells a well -known story of false identity. Apparently the choir bazaar was originally known as a Shor-Basar, which indicates the loud nature of the area. The case of false identity resulted from the inability of the complacent British colonialists to correctly pronounce the name by citing "choir" instead of the correct "SHOR". And from then on the name got stuck. Opportunistic burglars accepted the new name and then built a central hub to distribute their stolen goods under an official bazaar delegated by Great Britain for thieves.

Today sources claim that the Thieves Market in Mumbai is only a market for vintage goods. However, after I have personally seen some of the dubious people who are offered, I am skeptical.

No matter whether you want to make a five-finger discount bargain or just want to explore, the choir bazaar in Mumbai is a rewarding attraction. It is also a great place for fascinated visitors and passionate photographers who want to make a few clicks on one of the largest and most unique flea markets in India. Just take care of your pockets.
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How do I get here

The choir Bazaar is hidden in the Kamathipura district in the south of Mumbai. If you stay in the tourist district of Colaba, it is a fairly long 9-kilometer walk. Alternatively, you can use Uber or stop a RiScha/a taxi for about 100 rupees. Otherwise I have linked one in my opinion best Mumbai tour that also includes a tour of Mumbais Thieves Market.

Next train station to the choir bazaar

The fastest way to get to the choir bazaar by public transport is the ride on Mumbai's well-connected rail system. The nearest train station to the choir Bazaar Thieves Market is the Grant Road train station. From here it is only a very short throw to the bazaar.

Google Maps Pin: "Choir Bazar-Old and New"

Photos of my experience on the choir bazaar

Initially, I had some problems finding the difficult to grasp Thieves Market in Mumbai. When I searched the narrow paved streets in search of stolen goods, I received mixed signals, from penetrating views to familiar grin. Perhaps my back and forth neck, which stretched out like a desperate belief, aroused the impression that I was the dubious guy in the city. Or maybe Mumbai knew where I wanted to go and did not help in the certainty that I would finally find myself on the notorious bazaar.
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When I walked around, I unintentionally approached a shrine that was dedicated to a kind of autogoticity. Motor straps from all epochs hung on makeshift structures that were piled up on a tower of bonnet, rear mirrors and car radio antenna systems with torn cables that were still loose.

"It has to be!" I thought to myself when I quickly passed the sublime hiding place stolen car parts.
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It quickly became clear to me that the honest and the not so honest sellers and market dealers of the choir bazaar were used to the fact that strangers strolled through their small piece of underworld Mumbai. With joyful willingness and sometimes with apathetic consent, I received a trained shake of the head of the approval when I photographed the men of the choir bazaar. It was a familiar choreography that had taken place thousands of times before my closure. It was like the Bombay thieves played a familiar role in a Bollywood film and posed with their goods in front of their scattered shop fronts.

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When I entered the bazaar of thieves deeper, I paid my attention from the faces on their goods. I dug up everything, from dusty vintage posters from Hindu muscle men to mobile phones from the Nokia era-of which I knew they all had their own story to find their way to Mumbais choir Bazaar.

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More: Important travel seasons for India

cheap flights of finding the best and easiest way to find cheap flights is to use a flight price search engine like Skyscanner. This compares the best tariffs of all airlines.

tip: If you are flexible in terms of time, look for "whole month" to display a calendar result with the cheapest flight days. You will always find the best offers for accommodations for hostels, hotels, guest houses or resorts, between Booking.com and Agoda you will always find the best offers in India.

Tip : To find the best hostels, I usually compare reviews on Hostelworld and then check other booking sites to further compare prices and offers. Good offers for tours and transports already know that I prefer independent trips. Sometimes it is the best and cheapest way to do things, just book a tour or package. For India I always use Klook and Viator. Longest night buses are by far the cheapest way to get from place to place in India. A reliable bus network is Redbus. In, which also has a downloadable app. You can also consider Bookaway to compare cheap buses and transport options on the country path in India. Do not forget adventure travel insurance If you read this blog, you are probably more looking for adventures with a sip at the pool. My two favorite options for adventure trips are Safetywing and World Nomads. Click here to read the comparison between the two.

Further blogs and guides for traveling in India

I hope that this short photo report/travel guide for the Bazaar Mumbai choir inspired you to visit one of the most fascinating attractions Mumbais. If you find the way to the Thieves Market in Mumbai, let me know about your experiences.

Otherwise, for those who travel in India, you should see some of my other travel guides and blog posts to visit further ideas and sights!

My camera and photo equipment

• Mirrorless camera: Canon R5
• drone: DJI Mavic Pro 2
• 360-degree action camera: Insta360 One X2
• landscape lens: Canon RF 15-35 mm f/2.8l
• all-round lens: Canon RF 24–105 mm f/4L
• telephoto lens: Canon RF 100–500 mm f/f/4.5–7.1 l
• Long action rod: Insta360 Invisible Pole (Bullettime)
• landscape lens filter: Hoya Circular Polarizer
• camera backpack: F-stop Tilopa
• Favorite photo accessories: Peak Design Capture Clip

A list of my recommended photo equipment (including what I use and why) can be found in my guide for camera equipment for the trip.

If you want to use one of the photos on this website, please visit my licensing page to find out how. I also sell professional art prints, visit my print store or contact me directly for customs deductions from pictures on WE Seek Travel.
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