Haat Bazaar () is an open-air market[access date March 2015] that serves as a Trading post for local people in rural areas and towns mainly in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India.[Crow, B., Markets, Class and Social Change: Trading Networks and Poverty in Rural South Asia, Palgrave, 2001, Glossary p. xvii] Haat bazaars are conducted on a regular basis, usually once, twice or thrice a week, and in some places once every fortnight. At times, haat bazaars are organized in a different manner, to support or promote trading by and with rural people.[access date March 2015][access date March 2015] In addition to providing trading opportunities, haat bazaars serve as meeting places, rural settlements come up around the haats which gradually grow into towns.
Bilateral Haats at international borders
Border Haats of India with neighbouring nations includejointly-run bi-lateral Haats at designated places on India's border with neighbours such as on India–Bangladesh border, India-Bhutan border, India–Myanmar border, and India–Myanmar border.
[ Closer economic ties with neighbours vital, The Hindu, 7 May 2019.]
List of popular Haats by country
India
In India, street vendors legitimately operate under the Street Vendors Act, 2014. Please help expand this partial and alphabetical list.
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Assam
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Gohpur at Gohpur in Assam is considered India's larges
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Beltola Bazaar, Guwahati which is a bi-weekly market with historical significance dating back to the Ahom Kingdom
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Delhi
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Dilli Haat in Delhi is a famous permanent market place built in traditional style which is open every day.
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West Bengal
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Bihibare Haat, Kalimpong which is a weekly market held every Thursday morning
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Rampurhat is a municipal town in India that grew around a Haat.
Bangladesh
Two districts Lalmonirhat and Jaipurhat of Bangladesh have the suffix "haat" in their name, undoubtedly reflecting the presence of haat bazaars in those locations around which these cities grew up.
Nepal
Eastern Nepal, most of the towns are named after the weekly haat.
Aaitabare,
Sombare,
Mangalbare, Budhabare,
Bihibare,
Sukrabare and Sanischare are some common Nepali town names that are named for the day of the weekly haat.
Panchami, Nawamidanda, and Saptami are towns named after the fortnightly haats, according to the Hindu calendar.
See also
- Indian subcontinent
- Other related
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File:'The Haat' of Doraguda - 5 (The weekly village market of Doraguda, Odisha).jpg|'The Haat' of Doraguda (The weekly village market of Doraguda, Odisha)
File:'The Haat' of Doraguda - 7 (The weekly village market of Doraguda, Odisha).jpg|'The Haat' of Doraguda (The weekly village market of Doraguda, Odisha)
File:Haat bazaar.jpg|The weekly market of Bhanimandal, Lalitpur.
File:Haat bazaar3.jpg|Local products in Haat bazaar, Nepal.
