Kolkata’s night bazaar

Since the market is yet to begin,buyers and sellers are in a chatty mood. “We took the afternoon train from Rampurhaat. We will buy sarees from here and sell them in our villages,” says Shabana Bibi,who travels from the moffusil town,a few hours away from Kolkata,every week.

Meanwhile,stacks and stacks of clothes pile up on the pavements of the arterial road. Trucks trundle by even as Salima Ghouse from Shantipur village in West Bengal sets up her stall. “I can’t tell you about others but I make enough to survive,” she says.

Kalicharan Md,a regular at the market for the past 40 years,says he takes home about Rs 250 a day. “In the 1960s,we would sell sarees for 4 annas,now we sell them for Rs 22. We would struggle to provide two proper meals for our children then. The story is same now,” he says.

Best of Express Premium

Premium

What makes KuCoin P2P Trading Platform a Good Choice To Buy Crypto?

Premium

Airtel Demonstrates Immersive Video Entertainment On 5G; Recreates Kapi...

Premium

Is It A Good Idea To Keep One Account For All Your Financial Transactions?

Premium

Touching The Sky : SIMS, Pune Alumni On A Path To Make A Difference

More Premium Stories >>

Despite being around for years,the haat has no official name. It’s popularly known as “Libbitti haat” after the nearby Liberty cinema that screens

B-grade films. And when it comes to figuring out the exact age of the haat,almost everyone contributes to the haziness—some say it’s close to 30 years old,some says it’s around 70 years old.

Sudipto Mallick,an executive committee member,says the market is about 150 years old. “This area,which is close to Burrabazar,was frequented by tradesmen from Rajasthan and Gujarat. I think they started this haat,” he says.

When asked if the infrastructure of the area could be bettered,Mallick,who quietly makes rounds of the market,says,“If we try to bring in change and order,we will destroy the very character of the place. I don’t think there is such a vibrant market anywhere in the world,” says Mallick.

But Md Salim,who travels all the way from Ranchi (Jharkhand) every week to buy clothes from the haat,would rather have some infrastructure in place. “There are not enough eateries that stay open all night to feed thousands who throng the area. Moreover,during monsoons,we have no shelter,” he says.