Shopping has no season, but for fashionistas, shopping on Sawdey Road in the city, especially during the holy month of Ramzan, is a much-awaited one.
With Ramzan festival just a few days away – July18 – a walk down the Meena Bazaar lane and Zum Zum Bazaar, a temporary market along the road, is the most refreshing and pleasurable experience for shopaholics. Popularly known as Meena Bazaar, it is an extension of the shops that remain open throughout the year.
Apart from Muslims, people from other communities, too, throng the bazaar that comes alive between dusk and dawn with the beginning of holy month of fasting. The bazaar, which is empty in the morning, turns abuzz with activity in the evening, suffice to indicate that it’s time to break the dawn-to-dusk fasting. The road remains closed for traffic for the whole month to facilitate trouble-free shopping.
The aroma of eatables wafting through the air, blinking LED lights on the row of shops adds glitter to the mannequins adorned with garments only to woo fashionistas with their designs and style.
According to a shopkeeper, the business at the bazaar reaches its peak after the 15th day of roza (fasting), with the market teeming with buyers. Right from the stone-studded hairpins, clips, attractive slippers, garments, imitation jewellery, you name it, it is all available here. It is the favourite not only for the Muslim community, but for others too who throng the place enjoying the whiff of the aroma of samosas and sweets.
An exclusive shop selling burqas (a covering worn by Muslim women), a makeshift shop selling perfumes, headgears and white kurtas, usually worn by men on the day of Eid, while participating at the namaz, are the crowdpullers.
Syed Akram, a perfume seller, said the whole street lights up and you are spoilt for choice only during the month.
More than 10 men attending to customers at the shop selling samosas, stuffed with vegetables, chicken, mutton and others, are busy throughout the evening.
Pushcarts selling dates, fruit juices, and crushed ice with a stick to hold, available in various flavours like cola, orange, mango, kala khatta and many more attract kids who can be seen savouring them. Weather is no reason to stop them.
The roadside vendors, who have spread their shops, attract customers with discounted rates on various products and you come back with a feeling of buying them with a good bargain.