Sumaira Jajja strolls down the crowded Bohri Bazaar as it gears up for Eid

As you make your way into Karachi Saddar’s famous Bohri Bazaar, be prepared to be jostled around as the crowd surges ahead, each person lost in his/ her own thoughts. With kiosks and thelas springing up like wild mushrooms since the beginning of Ramazan, there is stiff competition for some foot space as pedestrians try to walk without tripping.

Long before the city was flooded with leased cars, Bohri Bazaar used to have a tram passing through it. There were also the victorias (horse drawn carriages) lined up and provided an economical mode of travel to the people visiting the market. A one-stop shop, the bazaar offers an endless variety of items. From durable steel utensils to fine china and crockery, from low-priced lawn suits to yards and yards of quality silk, from beddings to electronics, the place is a must visit on the list of any house-proud lady.

And while you are visiting, there are always the tasty bites to be grabbed from here and there. From the Nimko shop selling some of the best chewra, gathiya and assorted goodies in town to the various chaat houses, Bohri Bazaar offers some of the tastiest delights that are easy on the purse too. A quick visit to Chaudhary Farzand Ali Kulfi, a small shop known for its creamy kulfi served with falooda, is a must.

“For Rs40 a plate, it’s an easy deal. Business is slow but it is bound to catch up. All one can do is hope for the best,” says an optimistic Mohammad Hussain, the manager of the eatery. “Things start to get hectic after the second week. While it’s true that the city situation is keeping people away, but they will come. If you drop in some time later this week, there would a crazy crowd of shoppers, so much so that you will not be able to stand and talk peacefully,” he commented.

As she haggles with the vendor on a roadside kiosk, Khadija, a university student, takes a breather to speak about the market. “If you want the best Kohlapuri, then Bohri Bazaar is the place to be.” She is stocking up on the footwear as her cousins coming from Canada want the sandals.

Since her childhood she remembers coming to the market with her mother, aunts and cousins, “always ending our trip with the obligatory chaat session”. However, the security situation in the city has had her worried. “I was here some months ago and two men mugged me. None of the shopkeepers said anything as I was robbed in broad daylight. It was as if there was some collusion.”

Despite her negative experience, Khajida insists that she really likes her trips to the bazaar. “I went to Anarkali in Lahore and I did not like it. I say if you have not seen Bohri Bazaar, you have seen nothing at all.”

As one navigates around the market, apart from proper shops one will also notice the presence of temporary encroachers. A carpenter by day, Hameed works at a footwear stall in the evening every Ramazan. “The money we make during the month is good. We do have to pay the shopkeepers whose footpath we occupy but apart from that there is no hassle of setting up a proper shop,” he says as he dusts the fancy-looking Chinese sandals at an affordable price. A similar sentiment was shared by Idress who sells imitation jewellery and other accessories. “I work as a peon in the KWSB but times are hard pressed for cash, especially when a big occasion like Eid nears. The jewellery and other items sell like hot cakes. The Eid rush is finally picking up and I am hoping that we will get more customers.”

The bazaar provides lots of opportunities for the daily wagers, be it the boys selling sun glasses or the ‘runners’ selling juice, or even the extra-hands on various shops. As Shahid Hussain, a regular shopper at Bohri Bazaar says, “Yahan se koi khali haath nahi jata” (no one goes empty handed from here). Frequenting the market for the last 30 years, he says that the hustle and bustle of Bohri Bazaar never fails to amaze him. “It embodies the never-say-die spirit of Karachi!”

When questioned about the issue of phone thefts and harassment that women may face in Bohri Bazaar, Ibrahim, a shopkeeper says, “Its not just the women, but men too who suffer. There have been cases where a person with some political affiliation will show up and demand money. If you don’t give the money you are in for trouble that can range from being harassed at the shop to even being followed all the way to your home.”

As for the area now becoming ‘not so women-friendly’, he maintains that since a lot of shops in the vicinity are managed by people from various backgrounds, it is all about different mindsets. “We respect women but many others come from repressive homes and for them women are just eye-candy. We cannot stop other people because no one wants enemies. Times are hard but my advice would be for the women to be extra-cautious with their cash and belongings; that’s all,” he concludes.