Old bazaars of Ludhiana charm with their unique names
The industrial city of Ludhiana has some markets in the interior areas with unique and interesting names. Over the decades these markets have witnessed a transformation, but the old names have not changed. Not just the markets, there are leading shops in the city that have their own specialties and are popular among residents by peculiar names.
The interior part of the city has many inter-connected markets with names like Saban Bazaar, Kambal Bazaar, Ghas Mandi, Light Bazaar, Kitaban Wala Bazaar, Namak Bazaar, Kesar Ganj Mandi, Trunk Bazaar and so on.
Avinash Kumar, a local resident in his 80s, said the names of the markets have not changed since his younger days. “In Ghas Mandi, fodder for animals was sold. With time other shops have also come up, but the name of the market has not changed. Hardly anyone uses luggage trunks these days, still there are few shops in Trunk Bazaar that repair old trunks and sell new ones too,” Kumar added.
Another resident having a shop in the Kesar Ganj complex said even today Kesar Ganj Mandi was famous for selling spices, tea, etc. “All kind of spices are available at the mandi at reasonable prices. Retailers visit the mandi and buy products in bulk. In Saban Bazar, different varieties of soap are available by kilograms. In lights market, all kind of Chinese, other imported lights and chandeliers are sold. The markets have changed over the decades but the names have not,” said the resident.
Not just the markets, many sweet-meat shops are also popular for the delicacies these sell. The residents remember the shops by names like “Pandit ke paranthe”, “Jhandu poori wala”, “Deepe di lassi”, “Ghuddu da bhugga”, “Shudh mishthan barfi”, “Khushi ram ke laddoo”, etc.
Karan, a young boy said he was a gym freak but on cheat days he preferred to have “Jhandu ki poori with Deepe di lassi”. “My father tells me that the taste and authenticity of the delicacies these shops sell has remained the same after several years,” said Karan.
Ludhiana