A vegetable market in Bhutan has left an Indian traveller surprised by its cleanliness, organisation and overall appearance, after a video showing the market went viral on social media. Travel creator Manjil Pokhrel, who shared the video on Instagram under the handle @manjilpokhrel69, filmed his visit to the market and compared the experience with vegetable markets in India. The market’s spotless surroundings and neatly arranged stalls quickly caught the traveller’s attention, leaving him saying he felt “ashamed” when comparing it with the cleanliness of many vegetable markets back home in India. Scroll down to read more…
‘As an Indian, we need to learn a lot’
In the video, Pokhrel appears visibly surprised as he walks through the market.He points towards the clean floors, bright lighting and neatly arranged vegetables, while workers can be seen cleaning the premises. At one point, he says he is “ashamed as an Indian” after seeing the condition of the market. He also draws attention to children playing inside the market, something he appears to see as a sign of how comfortable and orderly the space feels.“Everything is so fresh, so hygienic,” he says while showing viewers around. His larger point is about the contrast he perceives between the market he is visiting and the vegetable markets he has seen in India. “As an Indian… we really need to learn a lot,” he says in the video.
Local and imported vegetables under one roof
According to Pokhrel, the market has separate areas for different types of produce.He says the ground floor has both locally produced and imported vegetables, while the upper floor is dedicated to local produce.The arrangement impressed him enough to compare the market to a modern supermarket rather than a traditional vegetable mandi. At one point, he says it feels as though he is inside a mall or an expensive vegetable supermarket. The market’s organisation and presentation appear to be what caught his attention most, from the way produce is displayed to the cleanliness of the common areas.
‘It feels like a mall’
The video has resonated with viewers partly because of the unusual comparison. Vegetable markets are generally associated with crowded lanes, vendors, carts and produce displayed in open spaces. Pokhrel’s video instead shows a more structured indoor environment, with clearly arranged stalls and maintained common areas. He repeatedly draws attention to the clean surroundings and the freshness of the produce. The video also shows children moving around the market, adding to his impression that the space is not simply functional but comfortable enough for families.
Bhutan’s market has long sold local and imported produce
The broader description of the market is not entirely new. Older accounts of Thimphu’s vegetable market also describe different floors being used for different types of produce. A 2011 account of Thimphu’s sabzi bazaar noted that local seasonal produce was sold on the upper floor, while many vegetables on the ground floor were imported from India. That gives some context to Pokhrel’s observations, although the current viral video should not be taken as a comprehensive assessment of every vegetable market in Bhutan.
Some Indians pushed back
The video also sparked a debate among Indian viewers.While some agreed with Pokhrel’s criticism and said Indian markets could learn from Bhutan’s approach, others pointed out that clean and organised vegetable markets also exist in India. Several commenters specifically mentioned Sikkim and other parts of Northeast India, suggesting that Pokhrel visit markets there as well. That response is important because the video captures one traveller’s experience at one market, rather than establishing that Bhutan’s markets are universally cleaner than India’s. Still, the visual comparison clearly struck a chord.For Pokhrel, the surprise was not simply about vegetables. It was about seeing something as ordinary as a sabzi market presented in a way that, to him, looked closer to a modern supermarket. And his message was straightforward: if everyday public spaces can be kept this clean and organised, he believes there is something worth learning from them.
