Sensory perception in the urban space

Abstract

Traditionally, Delhi’s markets are oversaturated spaces for sensory perception: a cacophony of sounds, contrasting smells, and a vivid visual cascade. This study adopts a sensitive ethnographic lens to examine how bodily sensations relate to sociality, offering insight into the social order of the marketplace and an individual’s position within it. What markers evoke comfort and security, and which provoke a sense of vulnerability or alienation? Where are the boundaries of social labeling that are commonly recognized by both locals and visitors, and where do such boundaries exist only in the perception of outsiders?The research is based on reflective observation diaries, documentary video and photo materials, and audio recordings of market sounds captured via dictaphone. The article incorporates the author’s digital materials - photographs (b/w prints with QR codes), video (QR codes), and audio (QR codes) - directly into the body of the text.The study reveals that experiencing Delhi’s markets is not solely a matter of visual perception, but a dynamic interplay of multiple sensory modalities that respond to fundamental physical and social needs. The article explores how visitors perceive the spatial and social boundaries of Delhi’s markets through sensory engagement and how this shapes their sense of self. It further examines the integration of visual imagery from the markets into India’s cultural fabric, as well as the sounds and smells of these areas as sensory indicators and boundaries of the socio-geographic space inhabited by the local population.