Sunday market opens as weather improves

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 27

The traders in Srinagar’s Sunday market finally had some relief today as they resumed their routine business after a gap of a month due to rain in the summer capital.

The weather showed an improvement in Srinagar today after many days of rain. The market was crowded with shoppers they could not visit the market for the last four weeks.

The locals were seen shopping for the summer stuff as the weathermen predicted sunny days ahead in the Himalayan region.

“For the last four Sundays, we could not open our stalls due to bad weather. But today, finally we are here with our routine business,” said a local vendor, Ali Mohammad, selling used branded shoes in the market. “We faced losses due to the bad weather conditions here. We hope that the sun will shine now,” he said.

The Sunday market is a weekly market in Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the market that spans nearly 2 km from the Tourist Reception Centre to the Hari Singh high street and is visited by thousands of people from across the Valley.

The market was finally abuzz today, giving a sigh of relief to small-time traders whose livelihood was mainly based on running the stalls where they sold used branded products ranging from shoes to home products like quilts and blankets.

The market is one of the major attractions in uptown Srinagar and is a major source of income for more than 1,300 vendors.

The market was initially started from the Radio Kashmir crossing to Polo View, but with the heavy rush of customers, it was stretched from Radio Kashmir to Hari Singh high street. Even shopkeepers in the area put their stalls on the day to attract customers.

Many young people in Valley wait to visit the Sunday market for their love for literature as there are many stalls that sell used books at cheaper rates.