Customers return to Gurugram’s Banjara Market, shop owners elated

The reopening of the market has made sellers optimistic about the future, after months of no business.

Gurugram’s famous flea market is a home to vintage, imported, second hand furniture and décor pieces. The flea market is located in sector-56 and marks a landmark for the sector. The ever bustling market saw a major downfall during the Covid-19 pandemic. The hundreds of local and nearing shoppers daily, dropped down to zero, for a long stretch of 2-3 months.

Banjara market in Gurugram is flourishing with customers again (Photo: Shivam Saxena/HT)

As the pandemic restrictions eased a little bit in the past week, the market saw the light of excited shoppers flowing in again. “I was waiting for the restrictions to ease a little bit, only and only to visit banjara maket. This market is best for shoppers who have a unique taste and love reclaimed items of furniture. No other market can match the price point and value of stuff that you can get here. I am shopping for planters, as I often do,” quips plant enthusiast and Gurugram based architect, Animesh Rao.

The market is a haven for interior designers and architects, who are always on the lookout for unique looking pieces at a low price point.

Due to restrictions, the lockdown was financially harsh for a lot of businesses and industries. However, it was especially difficult for daily wage earners.

The monthly income of the shop owners at the market ranges form 15-20k after a busy month. The income drastically reduced during the restrictions. Therefore, shop owners at banjara market had to dig in their savings, just to survive the lockdown. “Koi customer aa hi nahi raha tha, toh koi kamaai nahi hui, there were no customers and hence there was no earning during the lockdown,” says Ravi Pratap Singh, a shop owner at the market. He further adds, “We had to survive off our savings, which was not too much either. People used to come to distribute food at times, but not a lot.”

Some shop owners even had to take loans, “Karza (loan) lekar bhi kaam chala liya, koi na koi maddad kar hi deta hai. Somebody or the other helped with lending money to survive,” says Ravi Rajput, who owns a carpet shop in the market.

During the course of lockdown, a lot of migrant workers decided to move back to their native place. Answering the question if they thought about going back, Sunil Singh, who sell vintage wooden frames, says, “Never thought of going back to where we came from, all the work is here only. Going back was futile and hence was never an option.” The market is majorly run by rajput migrants from Chittorgarh, who have settled in tents right behind their respective shops.

Since, all the shop owners live on the market space; it has created a sense of community on the field. With no customers coming, there was not a lot to do. “We live right behind our shops, we cook also. When there were no shoppers, we used to cook meals and spent time with each other, socialising. There was nothing else to do,” explains Indira Rajput, who owns a décor shop in the market.

On the bright side, the market remained Covid free, as no one contracted the coronavirus, the shop owners tells us. “Hum sab theek rahe ekdum, kuch nhi hua,” quips one, elated with joy of seeing the market flourish with customers again.