Shoppers don't stop, mela's here

AN ARCTIC wind sweeps through the city. As evening approaches everyone crawls into the warmth of home and bed. But true blue Hyderabadis prefer to chill out at Patharghatti. Biting freeze or cold wave, they take the rough and tumble in stride. Particularly, this time of the year when Hyderabad sizzles. The great annual binge has begun and the city folks wouldn't like to miss none of it.

Who hasn't heard of this apocryphal story of a man standing at Nayapul and soon finding himself at Charminar. Gosh. No, he has no magic carpet, no wings nor is it a flight of fancy. Shoves and pushes - all unintentional of course - are believed to have done the trick.

Well, the story may be a figment of imagination or one of those Charminar-ki-pudi, but the message it seeks to convey is not entirely untrue. Try throwing yourself in the whirlpool of mass at this busy junction and see where you drift along. Come to think of it one is like a rudderless boat here, helpless and at the mercy of the human waves. No way you can peddle your own canoe. Just let yourself be carried away by the strong current.

If Ramzan has arrived, can shopping be far? To say that Hyderabadis are on a buying spree is to stress the obvious. They are like a man possessed, mad with their own delight. Shopping as if there is no tomorrow. They are everywhere, in lanes, bylanes, at kiosks, hotels. You name the place and they are there. And with the entire clan - dadi-dada, ammi-abba and the generation next. All out to shop for Id.

Over the years festival shopping has changed. The way Hyderabadis buy and behave will surely put the big time shoppers in Singapore to shame. "Hum to saalon se yahan aarahe hain", giggles a housewife. "Yahan kapda cheap aur shandar milta hai", she adds, trying to hold her son straining to break free. And if you agree with her then head straight to Patharghatti.

It's the shoppers' paradise. Difficult to figure out why it remains the favourite haunt - in season and out of season. Perhaps the old world charm, the leisure pace and Lad Bazar, the one-stop shop for women, has something to do with it. According to Syeda Akhtar, a regular visitor, Patharghatti always has something old, something new, something familiar and something unexpected.

The city is a melting pot of ethnic identities. And one can glimpse people of all communities here - burqa clad women, portly Sardarjis, salwar-suited aunties and trendily dressed Laila- Majnoos walking hand-in-hand. That is Patharghatti for you. Shop and slurp. This is typical Old city shopping. After `iftar', the Hyderabadis linger over endless cups of dahi-wadas, haleem, chai and of course piping hot biryani. While shopping they wouldn't like to miss the culinary revolution sweeping across the pavements. So there are short breaks to sample succulent kababs and guzzle fresh fruit juice. Howzzat for shopping?

A bird's eye view of Patharghatti will show that the maximum rush is in matching centres. They are a beehive of activity with women clamouring for scarlet reds, parrot greens, blouse pieces, saree falls, petticoats and what not. Ramzan is certainly a boon for traders. Nobody reveals the pile he makes but grapevine has it that what they earn in one month is more than what they make in the whole year. So smart entrepreneurs who know a good business opportunity when they see one never hesitate to muscle into trade at Patharghatti.

It's a pleasure to shop here - that is if you can withstand the noise, the crowds and the delirious salesmen shouting at the top of their voice. What? You are not seen at the Ramzan mela yet? Mark your presence pronto lest you become a talking point.

By J.S. Ifthekhar

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Section  : Southern States
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