A Madrasi’s Musings on Assam - 11

S. BALAKRISHNAN

Fancy Bazaar, the commercial hub of N-E

“Fancy Bazaar! You go to Fancy Bazaar, you will get anything and everything”, was the standard reply from Guwahatians when I did not get what I wanted at the nearby stores or local market. So I was getting curiouser and curiouser  to visit and explore Fancy Bazaar that is acclaimed as the commercial hub of not only Guwahati or Assam but of the whole of North-Eastern Region. But my first visit in the evening hours made it only further intriguing; amidst the dazzling lights, the jostling shoppers and the hustle-bustle, I felt like a child lost in a fair. There was nothing I could do except follow my daughter like a sheep. I was surprised at her haggling expertise; ‘you have to bargain for 1/3rd of the quoted price’, she remarked.  

Nicknamed as the ‘Chandni Chowk of Guwahati’, Fancy Bazaar is all in one – wholesale, retail, as well as a flea market. Its maze of alleys house shops ranging from huge stores to tiny shops, platform vendors as well as mobile vendors that there is hardly any space for the shoppers to move about!  Fancy Bazar sells all that you need for your daily life – vegetables & fruits, groceries, utensils, dress material & accessories, jewellery, fancy goods, household items, flowers, puja items, etc., etc. It also has eateries and street food stalls. What more do you need!

But the name ‘Fancy’ Bazaar has a dark and ominous origin.  Because of the jail and the ‘phansi’ (gallows) this area was originally known as ‘Phansi’ bazar/basti/area. As the area slowly developed into a commercial hub, the name changed to a fashionable ‘Fancy’ Bazaar.  In municipal records it is still known as Phansi Bazaar. Further earlier, the market here was called Sadar Bazaar, then Phansi Bazaar, and later as Fancy Bazaar. The influence of Hindi/Marwari-spea king traders here could be another reason for the name change.

Fancy Bazar reminded me of T. Nagar area in Chennai, the most popular shopping area where, it is jokingly remarked that if you drop a mustard/sesame it will turn into oil (because of the mulling crowd of crazy shoppers). I was also reminded of the Parry’s Corner area of Chennai with a labyrinth of streets, lanes & complexes. In this wholesale-cum-retail commercial hub since the East Indian Company  era, almost each street is earmarked to specific merchandise.   

The second time I visited Fancy Bazar, I earmarked the Gurudwara, Mosque and a Church to easily pin my location and find out my exit route in the Google map. But this time it started pouring down after a hot & humid day, forcing me to take refuge in a hotel and taste a dosa(i). This was not as good as the one we tasted during my first visit in another hotel in that area. With the rain lashing I had no other option. The roads, already messy, turned slushy after the rains. So I restricted my shopping to basic needs like utensils, vegetables & fruits and returned without exploring much the vast market. The third visit with my wife also turned out to be a brief one because of the extreme heat. We felt it was hotter than Chennai and so we beat a hasty retreat. We felt like laughing when people remarked if Chennai was hotter than Guwahati!   

Like any Indian bazaar, Fancy Bazar is chaotic and also charming. It is indeed a shoppers’ paradise where you can shop till you drop! Even if you are not a great shopper, do visit Fancy Bazar for the kick of it. It is difficult to ignore the call of Fancy Bazaar. But be street smart and bargain for 1/3rd of the quoted price. Also, take care of your belongings like mobile phone, money purse, etc. At the end, even after a hat trick visit, for me it is an unfulfilled desire to thoroughly explore the Fancy Bazar. 

(krishnanbala2004@yahoo.co.in / 9840917608 Whatsapp)