While the walled city is known for its sumptuous food and famous eateries, its dense population and congested lanes have made it a high-risk zone amid the Covid-19 pandemic.That’s the reason that food outlet owners here are suffering huge losses.
Girdhari Lal selling Halva. He makes call on permanent customers to buy Halva, when he don’t find enough customers.
Girdhari Lal said: “I have not seen something like this in my lifetime. I have many customers who would come to me for twice or thrice in a week to eat halva. I will also have tourists. But now local customers are also not coming. So sometimes, when I am left with Halva at closing of the stall, and then I try to call some of my permanent customers and request them to buy the remaining halva. Most of them buy it from me due to our personal relations of years but still it is very tough time for all of us. I don’t know when it would end and normal business will resume.”
Waiter sanitising table at Kesar Dhabain ,AmritsarThe famous ‘Kesar Da Dhaba’ in the narrow lanes of the walled city in Amritsar was closed for two weeks last month after becoming part of containment zone. The kitchen fires have been lit again at the dhaba, but customers are a rare sight.
“Whenever anyone comes, we ask them to sanitise their hands and then we sanitise the table. We again sanitise table when customers are done eating. But not many customers have been coming. We are not sure when it is going to be normal. We have been selling online, but overall sales have been impacted,” said Ramesh, owner of Kesar Dhaba.
Kulcha Land has now vacant tables that too when half of the tables have been removed to maintain social distancing ,AmritsarIn normal times, customers would struggle to find a table at the Kulcha Land, the famous Amritsari Kulcha makers in Ranjit Avenue. However, things are different now. Half the tables have been removed to maintain social distancing, and still the occupancy is not 100 per cent.
“Our Kulcha is famous in the world but now the world cannot come to us due to coronavirus. I have reduced my workforce to half as most of them have gone back to their villages. I think this year is already wasted and we hope that we will start recovering from next year,” said owner Pawandeep Singh.
Giyan Di Lassi has few drinkers due to COVID-19 , Amritsar
“We are left with 25 per cent of our business. Tourists are not coming. School and colleges are closed so students are not coming. Our labourers had gone to their home states through Sharamik trains and now they are also not able to return due to unavailability of trains,” said Mohinderpal Thakur, owner of Gian Di Lassi.
“Our business will improve only if Delhi will recover
from the coronavirus because
only then airports will open and tourists will be allowed to come from the
other states and countries. Most of our business comes from tourists and they
are not coming to the city right now. I don’t think government can do much to
help us,” said Ashawani Vaid, manager Bharavan Da Dhaba, another famous food
joint in the walled city.
Another stall owner, Surinder, added:”It’s very difficult
to change food habits but coronavirus has shown that fear of death can
overpower the love for food. I have been selling puri and aaloo-cholay for last
20 years. It is a kind of breakfast for many locals and shopkeepers in the
walled city. They cannot live without it. But now very few people come. Some of
my customers told me that they would again start eating after coronavirus is
over.
Harjeet Singh, owner, Makhan Fish, blamed the government
policy for adding to their woes.He said: “I do not understand what government wants to
do. It has allowed buses to run with at least 60 passengers each. But
government has permitted only 50 persons that too in restaurant of at least
5,000 sq feet. Do you find any logic behind these two parameters related to
Covid-19? Also there are orders that shops should be shut down by 8.30 pm when
it is time for people to start coming out of their homes to have dinner
outside.”
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/amid-pandemic-food-joints-in-amritsars-walled-city-hunger-for-good-old-times-
Dr.Gurdeep Kaur
Associate Professor
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College
University of Delhi
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