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A bizarre bazaar
At first glance, the narrow, congested lanes of Urdu Bazaar resemble a chaotic marketplace right out of an Orientalist’s dream. But instead of horsemen and carriages, motorbikes, rickshaws and automobiles, along with of course pedestrians, compete for space in this market of books, school supplies and other education related paraphernalia.
With the temperature pushing 40 degrees centigrade and clouds of diesel and dust engulfing the swarming multitudes, picking out course material and stationery items becomes a task in itself. Still, parents throng the place along with children of all ages, as there is no choice, haggling, bargaining and searching for the requisite items, while the shopkeepers try to keep pace with the demands of agitated consumers, obviously bothered by the heat.
At this time of the year, i.e. the beginning of the new school year, when students are out to purchase their syllabus, Urdu Bazaar resembles a carnival more than a marketplace. Why is this? You ask. Well, weaving in between the booksellers providing material for both the Matric and Cambridge systems of education that run parallel to each other in our country, there are push carts and makeshift stalls offering snacks and refreshments of all flavours at reasonable prices. Of course, the sanitary condition of these edibles is suspected, as the dust clouds and heat are sure to add unwanted hazards to the goodies. Everybody from chat wallahs to vendors of cool lemonade throng the already jam-packed lanes offering their items as respite to the frazzled shoppers.
There are three distinct types of merchants in the bazaar: those selling plain paper notebooks and journals for composition and writing; those selling course material and textbooks, and those dealing with stationery items such as pens, papers, pencils, glue etc. There are other peripheral shops that deal with lamination and binding, as well as selling the paper and plastic needed for covering books. Offering stiff competition to the established shopkeepers are the little cabins where dealers of used books have set up shops. They claim they offer used books at extremely reasonable prices in good condition, and their customers include scions of big shot families from prestigious schools.
When we ventured out to ask a few shopkeepers questions related to their business, the majority refused, as they were busy haggling with the customers. As one observer remarked, ‘this is the only time of the year they get to do business. Hence, don’t be surprised or offended if they don’t give you the time of day!’
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