Come on market day (inquire with your homestay host about the specific day it occurs, as it is generally a weekly event). The Jhalong bazaar is one of those border markets that remains organically alive: it wasn’t designed for tourism, wasn’t curated, and exists entirely to serve the practical needs of the communities on both sides of the Jaldhaka.
Bhutanese villagers, who have free crossing rights at the Bindu border point, come down to the market to buy sugar, rice, cooking oil, packaged food, and hardware that is cheaper on the Indian side. The market is a stunning and unique melting pot of cultures: Nepali, Bengali, Marwari, Adivasi, Rajbanshi, and Bhutanese. Traders settle their accounts in Indian rupees and use massive wicker baskets for transporting their purchases. Some also bring Bhutanese goods to sell, such as dried yak meat, woven fabrics, medicinal herbs, and the must-try Bhutanese fruit preserves and pickles, particularly the excellent Druk brand.
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