Navigating congestion: Understanding spatial strategies in Mandai, Pune

Its Sunday morning on the streets of Mandai. “ Kanda 15 rs kilo” “ lasun 150 rs kilo” “ aho tai, jara pai sambhalun chala . sagdi kothimber kharab karun takli”. while walking we reached to the space where movement slows, pathways dissolves & congestion becomes both frustration & a lifeline for a trade. This images playout to image of people chatting, laughing, conversing but in the congestion. So, this paper presents a case study of Mandai market examining how the proper planned circulation of internal architecture circulation of mandi differs in the outer organically peripheral market of Mandai, Pune From the 4 site visits done on different days, supported by interviews with vendors & customers, the study documents the congestion pattern at different times throughout the day also on different days where the congestion is at peak on Sunday between 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, where the space used by the vendors & customers differs by the weather condition. Understanding how the vendors often perceive congestion positively for its role in increasing visibility & trade, while customers experience discomfort, restricted movement & loss of accessibility. From this study we can understand the spatial strategies followed from the vendors & customers perspective both where we can understand how the spaces are used where the congestion happens. The case of Mandai demonstrates how the traditional market in India negotiate between planned structure & unplanned periphery.