SRINAGAR: With just three days left for Eid-ul-Azha, Bakr Eid, there was no festival mood in the Kashmir valley, including the summer capital, Srinagar, where shoppers are missing and shops remained closed after the recent devastating floods.
Traders selling sheeps and goats for sacrifice, which used to remain flooded in every part of the city weeks before the Eid festival, including civil lines, are missing this time and there was no rush near bakery and other shops as well.
However, shopkeepers could be seen removing damaged articles and cleaning their shops everywhere.
This is for the first time that there was no Eid rush in the markets, recalled a 75-year-old Nazir Ahmad and said even during peak militancy people used to come out in large numbers weeks before the festival.
Goni Khan, Regal chowk, Budshah Chowk, historic Lal Chowk, Court road, Janglat Gali, historic Jamia masjid, Khanyar and other places where people, mostly women, used to find it difficult to walk on these occasions in the past, presents almost a deserted look today.
Barring Jamia Masjid all areas were badly affected by flood this time, damaging everything.
Shopkeepers of these areas, selling readymade garments and shoes, which witnessed brisk business only two months ago on Eid-ul-Fitr, were seen removing damaged articles.
We had stocked readymade garments and other products for Eid festival which has been totally damaged in floods, the shopkeepers of Gonikhan on the bank of river Jehlum in the heart of city said.
Everything has finished and we have to start from Zero, they said, adding products in godowns were also damaged.
Similar views were expressed by shopkeepers in other parts of the city.
Traffic police personnel, who used to remain on their toes to regulate traffic in the city because of unprecedented rush of shoppers, were also seen relaxing this time.
Three days before the Eid festival traffic police department used to issue a directive, banning plying of passenger vehicles in the civil lines because of rush in the past. This time there is no such directive as very less number of people could be seen on the streets.
Traders, who used to occupy almost every part of the city selling animals for sacrifice on Bakr Eid are also missing this time.
However, a camel and few hundred of sheep and goats could be seen in the Eidgah area.
Though a large number of bakery shops remained still closed, there is also no rush near the bakery shops which are open this time. According to estimate, bakery worth several crores of rupees was being sold on Eid festival every year.
Similarly no rush could be seen near shoe, meat and sweet shops in the city this time. UNI
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