Less than a week to go for Id-ul-Fitr, and Ramzan shopping is in full swing in all the shopping districts of Hyderabad. But this year, there is a twist in the shopping expedition of families as traditional markets of Charminar, Pathergatti, Patel Market and Madina are not the only draw for them.
A high-octane campaign has been launched by businessmen who have created several pockets for shopping that offer budgetary choice as well as ease of shopping owing to locational advantage. “This is closer to our place. We don’t have to spend money on travelling and everything is available here,” says a woman, shopping at a function hall at Mehdipatnam. In the jazzily lit up function hall, it’s easy to get lost, but the rows of shops are organised well and women and a few men are seen bargaining even at stalls that sport fixed price banners. Similar shopping areas have cropped up at Moosa Bowli, Salar Jung Museum area, Asifnagar, Toli Chowki, Dabeerpura, Nampally, Golconda and countless other areas of the city.
The impact of these smaller shopping enclaves can be seen in Charminar area where it is easier to walk between the makeshift shops even though they have virtually surrounded the monument with bling goods, blinding lights and colourful tarps. A restaurant that was nearly demolished as part of the pedestrianisation project has made seating arrangement and is serving biryani and haleem. Others followed suit. The result? Restaurants, cafes, and juice parlours have occupied the nearly 20-metre space close to the monument.
If there is a feel of shopping during Numaish (All India Industrial Exhibition), it is completed when there is an announcement over a hailer: “Nafisa Begum jo Kamareddy se hai police station aa jaye.” It is easy to get lost in the milling crowd if one doesn’t have a cellphone.
“We wanted to come and buy here though we did some of the shopping near our place at Kala Pathar,” says Afzal Khan, busy navigating through the shops near Charminar. “It’s an experience to come here,” he adds.
Gastronomic expedition
While Charminar retains the status of a go-to place for shopping in the Ramzan gastronomic expedition, it clearly has been taken over by alternative sites offering similar food choices. The whole stretch between Rethi Bowli junction and Toli Chowki flyover has been transformed into a food plaza that caters to foodies till early morning. While people virtually have to brawl to lay their hands on food or to find seating spaces elsewhere, near Toli Chowki it’s a range of gourmet choices that are on offer.