Old City ushers in festive fervour

Shop away ,be it carpets or glittery bangles, Old City is teeming with variety. 

PHOTO : KVS Giri and By Arrangement

Shoppers keen to beat the Ramzan crowd and frenzy have already begun their Id shopping.
Whoever said money cannot buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping. Ask any Hyderabadi and he will share the best kept secret — the Charminar and its surrounding areas in the heart of Old City. . And the season when the shopping frenzy here reaches a peak is just round the corner. Though Ramzan, the month of fasting, is still a few days away, the festive mood has already enveloped this part of the city.

The weekend saw hectic business at Patherghatti, the economic hub of the purana shahar . Call it ambience, variety or pricing, many still prefer to shop at Charminar, although there is no dearth of commercial hubs in other parts of the city. Among the shoppers were young Sabiha and her parents from the neighbouring state, were surprised at the frenzied activity and wondered whether Id was just the following day.

The commercialisation of Ramzan has never been so blatant. What is essentially a time for fasting and piety has been turned into a business opportunity. A popular Haleem maker puts up hoardings at strategic points in the twin cities welcoming Ramzan a good 50 days ahead. Is it salutation of the holy month or Haleem, the signature dish of Ramzan? No wonder a Hindu friend of Moulana Husamuddin Aaqil once innocently asked “When is your month of eating beginning?”

The shop-till-you-drop syndrome will come into play as Id approaches but many people prefer to get done with their Id shopping early to avoid the swelling waves of shoppers in the days to come. Cashing on the trend, traders too have upped the ante. Unlike the previous years, fresh stock of clothing has already arrived in the market. “Seeing the changing preferences of the customers, we have brought in new stock a month ahead,” says Haji Abdul Lateef, proprietor of a popular cloth store at Patherghatti.

Haleem kiosks have also sprung up much earlier in many areas, though the popular restaurants are yet to formally launch the special flavour for Ramzan. From big traders to hawkers everyone is out to make a fast buck. A carnival like atmosphere can be seen in most parts of the city. Not just Charminar, areas like Nampally, Mallepally, Mehdipatnam and Toli Chowki are also witnessing increasing footfalls.

There is much to tickle the taste buds as also the soul-strings during Ramzan. Among the devotional merchandise, the holy Quran remains the fastest moving product on the shelf since it was revealed during Ramzan. Bookstores have stocked fresh sets of Quran, particularly its translations in Urdu and English. CDs of the Quran in voice of popular qaris (reciters) like Imam of the grand mosque in Makkah, Abdul Rahman Al Sudais, are much sought after. As always, the Mohammmed Cap Mart has unveiled a new line of prayer rugs. Soft, velvety ‘jainamaz’ with beautiful Islamic motifs are on display at the 113-year old Mart in Patherghatti. One can shop for the best of carpets and prayer mats from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Belgium, Iran and other countries.Indeed the ID season has just begun.


Many people prefer to get done with their Id shopping early to avoid the swelling waves of shoppers in the days to come. Cashing on the trend, traders too have upped the ante.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The Hindu

Dated May 8,2018