August 03, 2006

Driving or walking on the Jhelum valley road, near the confluence of two rivers in Muzaffarabad, one cannot help but notice a nice rocky terrace on the other side of one of the rivers. It is Azad Kashmir’s capital’s first-ever food street or food point which resumed business in May, almost seven months after the devastating earthquake.



It was initially inaugurated on September 25, 2005 –– hardly two weeks before the killer quake –– on a late 19th century historical baradari structure, with six cafés offering a variety of refreshments and cuisines.

In a city which badly lacks recreational spots, this was the only place to while away free hours in the late afternoons and enjoy the cool river breeze in the evening. But all of that came to a sudden halt when the catastrophic earthquake struck Muzaffarabad.

As people started returning to the town, the authorities decided to reopen the food point. “Its reopening indicates that life is gradually returning to normalcy,” says Kashif Murtaza, AJK chief secretary, who is the driving force behind all this.

The stony structure is the foundation of a steel bridge which once connected the main city of Muzaffarabad, with the highway leading to Srinagar on one side and Rawalpindi on the other. The bridge, which is still intact, has not only withstood the earthquake but has also braved airborne attacks during the India-Pakistan wars as well as heavy floods.

It was built when Kashmir was under the rule of Maharaja Ranbhir Singh, father of Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra autocrat in the Muslim majority state of United India.

Interestingly, the powerful tremors which razed many buildings to the ground failed to dislocate even a single stone of the pavilion, thus corroborating the view that it’s not the earthquake but faulty construction that kills people. Despite its solid foundations, the bridge is now only a historical structure as the traffic has been re-routed to the alternative RCC Bridge constructed nearby.

Nearly two months after its reopening, it has become the most visited spot of the town. Locals as well as foreign aid workers, associated with different United Nations’ agencies and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) frequent the place to enjoy the scenery as well as traditional cuisines.

“It’s a fabulous place along the river,” remarks Carlo and Francesca, a couple working with a UK based NGO since December, as they order food. “The earthquake provided us the opportunity to visit this historic place. And we are sure if it is properly publicised many more people will visit it,” they add. The civic body had initially planned to build a traditional Kashmiri shikara to serve as a floating restaurant near the spot, but so far there seems to be no development in this regard.

Mustafa Lala, running one of the cafés at food point, says he’s extremely happy to see the response of the people. A specialist of Kashmiri cuisine, his famous eatery –– Lalazar Café –– disappeared beneath the rubble in the city’s commercial hub, Madina Market. He lost his wife, mother and a younger brother, when his two-storey house collapsed within seconds of the earthquake.

Lala offers Kashmiri gushtaba (minced-meat balls) cooked in yoghurt, rista (minced meat balls in small size) cooked in tomato curry and other Kashmiri delicacies in disposable pots. The pink Kashmiri tea, flavoured with crushed almonds, cocoa and pistachio nuts, is also very popular among the visitors.

Although the town’s quality hotels are also back in business, a visit to this food point, during a trip to Muzaffarabad, is a must to make the itinerary worth remembering.

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