Mohsina Malik
Maharaj Gunj Bazar is located on the banks of Jehlum in Aali Kadal area of downtown, Srinagar. The market starts from Aali Kadal and ends at Old Zaina Kadal. Downtown or “Shehr-e-Khaas” is the old city of Srinagar having historical and heritage buildings, houses and markets.
There are seven old bridges or “ Kadals” in Srinagar — Amira Kadal (Omra Kadal/Womra Kadal/Amiran Kadal), Zaina Kadal/Zaein Kadal, Aali Kadal/Aael Kadal, Safa Kadal (Saifa Kadal/Saf Kadal/Safr Kadal), Habba Kadal/ Habb’e Kadal, Fateh Kadal and Nawa Kadal/ Naw Kadal. Each bridge or Kadal have its own significance.
Historical texts find its origin in the mid 19th century and state that the market was established by Dogra ruler Maharaja Ranbir Singh. Presently, the market is known as Maharaj Gunj, earlier it was known as Shri Ranbir Gunj or S R Gunj. A major portion of the Mahraj Gunj market was allotted to the businessmen who were from Hoshiarpur and Gujranwala.
Mainly the transportation of goods was carried through Jehlum, traders from Anantnag and Baramulla used to ferry their goods from the route of Jehlum river.
There was a time when traders used to come from Central Asia to the market, said Khurshid, a man who was purchasing goods from a wholesale shop in Maharaj Gunj. Maharaj Gunj once used to be a stock exchange-cum-business center for various traders who came from Lahore, Karachi, Amritsar, Delhi and parts of Central Asia.
Recalling the days, when the market used to bustle with both traders as well as customers, the owner of a wholesale shop told that this was a busy market where a person can get everything he/she needs, from needles to copperware (traem), everything is available.
Rasheed Ahmad, owner of Shangloo Bedding Store told “after my father’s death, I continued the legacy of my father, it’s been more than 30 years, the market is changing. I sell bedding items to the factories which make mattresses and cushions etc, only few fixed customers visit my shop, he added.
The double lockdowns have badly impacted the market. Last year, boards were installed on our shops by the tourism department, it was said the buildings of the market will be preserved, some shops were painted and maintained but still the market is losing its glory slowly from several years, said a cloth shop owner who is running his ancestral shop at Maharaj Gunj.
In 2010, Ali Muhammad Sagar, the then cabinet minister stated that government was considering declaring the Maharaj Gunj as a heritage site. Many projects and schemes get formulated for the revival of the market but nothing gets implemented, he added.
While walking through the labyrinthine lanes, you can see the old buildings, houses and shops ( many of them closed or turned into godowns). The view of the houses in Downtown can be seen in a tight and mazed way with unbaked and muddy bricks.
A man in his late 80’s pointing towards his house said this is my ancestral house, I have been living here from more than 80 years with my family, we have a joint family. I have spent my life in these lanes, witnessing everything.
I asked him, “ Uncle why didn’t you shifted as you have a big family? ”, he replied with a smile, “ yus maze yakjaa roznaas manz chu, su chuneh alag roznaas (the happiness in living together, is not in separation) ”.
“These houses are the “Shahi Tameers ( royal constructions), when you live in them, you can feel the warmth, love and peace in them”, he added.
A man who was accompanying him told: “people have shifted to uptowns, they have even changed their lifestyles, they can live in big houses but can’t get the happiness”.
It is said before partition, traders from some parts of the world used to visit the market and exhibit their stock here, even Maharaja Pratap Singh used to hold meetings with traders of the market for the promotion of the business.
Maharaj Gunj was once having an Adalat (court) during the regime of Maharaj Pratap Singh, which is now closed.
A customer said that a person can purchase goods at cheap prices with the best quality of the product, however, the same product is sold in high rates in Lal Chowk.
There are mostly old structures in Downtown where people live, the people say that “these houses can resist any calamity or weather, some are even building houses as according to their choice without thinking how long these new structures can resist any calamity or weather.
Due to congested roads, lack of parking and non-availability transport services sometimes, few customers and traders visit here, said a shop owner.
Downtown has numerous heritage buildings as well as monuments and they need to be developed and revived but unfortunately, these places have been deprived of basic facilities.
The market as well as the old buildings are losing their charm due to the continuous negligence of the government, for boosting the place, it needs revival before the place fades away from the minds of the people.