Return of Banjara Market breathes life into Gurugrammers' festive shopping this Diwali

For years, Banjara Market has been the go-to Diwali shopping destination for residents of Gurgaon, Delhi and Faridabad due to the availability of quality inexpensive handicraft and other decorative items. This year, as the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) demolished the market due to encroachment concerns earlier this month, regular shoppers were worried they'd have to look elsewhere for their festive shopping needs.But much to shoppers' delight, the market is now back and running in multiple locations.
The market was established in Sector 56 in Gurgaon around 15 years ago. Currently, some of the shops in the old market have returned while others are operating alongside the Golf Course Extension Road. Shoppers say they are glad their favourite market is back in time for their Diwali shopping. Dhananjay Verma, a Sector 32 resident, says, "My whole Diwali shopping used to be at the Banjara Market each year for the last many years. I was disappointed that the market was gone. But I was surprised to find it up and running when I passed by the spot last week. My wife and I will head over there this weekend to shop for the festive season." Rishi Jain, who shopped there a few days ago, adds, "It's much smaller now and fewer shops but the stuff is all there." Sellers in Sector 56 say the crowds haven't descended the way they usually do before the festival but it could be due to lack of knowledge about the market being active again. "More people should come as word is spreading that we are back in operation," hopes one shop owner.

With a smaller offshoot of the market operating on Golf Course Extension Road, those who live in the societies beyond that are happy too. Arpita Shah, a resident of Sector 67, tells us, "While it's agreed that encroachment must be tackled and the market must be regularised, one should not snatch away the livelihood of so many people. Also, over the years, the market has become an inalienable part of Gurgaon. The variety available there and the prices are quite good. I am glad I won't have to drive down to Sector 56 to buy stuff from there anymore. It has moved much closer."

Others, mostly those who live close by, are wary of the chaos the market causes during festive season. Mohammad Ayub, who lives a stone's throw away from the market in Sector 56, says, "Parking is a huge issue. I hope all that has been thought of before restarting the market. I see it is in a limited space and the service lanes aren't occupied anymore, which is a welcome change. But this market needs to be regulated so that it can run smoothly."

Only few of the original shops remain at Sector 56
In September, HSVP had sent a notice to shopkeepers at the market in Sector 56, ordering them to vacate the area as the market was set up over public land. In the first week of October, HSVP and Gurugram Police demolished the shops there after sellers moved out. Now, some of the shopkeepers have returned, occupying a small part of the erstwhile market. The shopkeepers claim that they are trying to come to an understanding with the local administration so that they don't have to be evicted. They further say that the stretch of land they are currently occupying is not public land and they are making sure not to inconvenience anyone. An official from HSVP tells us that their issue was with the shops being set up on public land and as long as they don't encroach on that, they can continue. Sources from the civic body say they are trying to find a middle ground so that the market may continue and public land isn't encroached upon. For now, the market has reduced drastically in size with almost no presence on the service lanes as was the case earlier. Only a handful of the original shops remain. Others have set up shop in various other parts of the city, a majority of them along the Golf Course Extension Road.