Srinagar, Aug 28: Here’s some good news for Eid-ul-Fitr shoppers who during the Holy month of Ramazan find post Iftaar time convenient for the shopping but the marketplaces are mostly shut.
 With Eid round the corner, the historic Jamia Masjid market in Shahr-e-Khaas will offer festive shopping till midnight that too with special discount offers by the shopkeepers.
 This is for the first time in the past over 20 years of Kashmir conflict that a marketplace in the old City has planned to stay open till the late hours.
 “For the convenience of the shoppers, we have formally decided to keep the shops open till around 12. So from traditional Eid bakery to clothing to crockery, all will be available in the night hours,” President of Jamia Masjid Traders Federation Javed Ahmed Zargar told Greater Kashmir.
 This means some four hundred shops around the central Masjid, catering to a variety including readymade garments, shoes, crockery, cosmetics and even traditional items like Isbandsooz and Samavaar will be available in the late hours.
 As for the convenience of the customers, Zargar said ample parking space was available that too free of cost.
 “And AlhamduLillah the best part about the parking issue is that no vehicle has ever been stolen from the area,” the president told Greater Kashmir.
 The decision of the shopkeepers is being seen in the backdrop of Valley’s head priest, Mirwaiz Dr Umar Farooq’s opinion that marketplaces in the Valley should stay open during night hours in the Holy month.
 And the Mirwaiz Mantra seems to have struck the chord in his stronghold Nowhatta. Pertinently for the past few years the head priest has been stressing for keeping marketplaces open during the Ramazan nights.
  “Like other Muslim countries in the world, the month of Ramazan must appear different in Kashmir as well,” he has been saying while this year Mirwaiz appealed the traders’ community to keep the business going in the night hours.
 “One can easily understand that in the past 20 years or so, there is total sense of fear and insecurity among people. But then this is the month of blessings where we need to be vibrant,” he said earlier this month.
 As about the Nowhatta business, power supply would be obviously vital. “We are ready and hope that the power supply will remain uninterrupted so that nobody feels inconvenience,” said the marketplace president. Zargar said it was an attempt towards the revival of the Nowhatta hustle-bustle.
 “Jamia Masjid market had been prime business hub and people would love shopping here but over the decades this area got neglected more so because of callousness of successive regimes,” said a shopkeeper.
 Event though the Kashmir markets would remain open till late evenings. But it was prior to 90’s.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 28 Aug 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:00:00 IST