As the first rays of light hit the capital of the remote state of Manipur, the “mothers’ market” is already enveloped in a cacophony of colours and spicy flavours. Fish stalls echo with high-pitched voices of women queuing for succulent golden carp from the nearby Loktak Lake, while early buyers wander around stalls overflowing with local fruit and vegetables, trying to secure the best produce of the day. A few metres away, older women sit alongside rows of pottery and bamboo baskets, chitchatting nonchalantly with their peers. Before unpacking their merchandise, many pay a quick visit to the shrine of Ima Imoinu, the goddess of wealth and business and the market’s main protector.
Located in the centre of the laidback city of Imphal at India’s border with Myanmar, the Ima Keithel in local Meitei language (or ‘mother’s market’) is the biggest market in the world run and managed exclusively by women. Around 10,000 of them work here every day, selling every kind of local product, from food to textiles, knives, toys and religious items.
The Ima Keithel encompasses three adjacent pagoda-style bazaars. Each mother owns a stall, regularly registered and passed down to generations – successors are chosen among sisters, daughters or daughters-in-law. Apart from a few porters, men are not allowed to work here.
“It has always been managed by women. We wouldn’t feel comfortable if men were around,” explains 72-yearold Lalita Soibam, a fish seller who has been working here for 37 years.
“Here we can talk about sensitive family matters, the ups and downs of business, or about friends we have not seen in years. We wouldn’t speak so openly at home,” echoes Victoria Oibam, 50, who manages a banana stall.
This story is from the August 2023 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2023 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Where to go in 2024
Who doesn't love fantasising about their next trip? We've gone for lesser-known locations, and whether you're seeking bright lights, striking natural scenery, serenity or excitement, here's where you're sure to find it.
Money matters with Effie
Didn’t reach your financial goals in 2023? While a new year won’t wipe away pressures like rising costs, there are a few things you can do now to refresh your money mojo in 2024.
Bright stars in a rugged land
The hot, dusty opal fields around Lightning Ridge in outback NSW have traditionally been a man's world. Now The Weekly meets the women who have been struck by opal fever.
The gift of life
Maureen Elliott had just months to live when she went on St Vincent's Hospital's transplant list. Thirty years on she's one of the longest living heart-lung transplant recipients in the world.
An uncaged heart
After more than two years in Iranian jails, Kylie Moore-Gilbert has forged a new life that's brimming with love, and a determination to help others who have been wrongfully imprisoned.
The woman behind The King
As Sofia Coppola's biopic Priscilla readies to hit screens, we look back at the early life and great love of Priscilla Beaulieu Presley.
Say hello to the Cockatoo cake
When we put a call-out to our readers for their best children's cakes we were inundated with recipes, and this clever cockatoo was ahead of the flock.
The French revolution
Dawn French quit her sketch show because she felt so ugly. Now the \"roly-poly comedian\" wants us all to stop fretting about our faults. She talks body image, surviving the 1980s and owning her mistakes.
Trump's women
Will it be the jailhouse or the White House for Donald Trump this year? The women in his life could make all the difference.
Can you buy a good night's sleep?
Forty per cent of Australians have trouble sleeping, and the market has responded with a mind-boggling array of sleep aids. But do any of them actually work? The Weekly goes in search of slumber.