Girdhari Lal selling Halva. He calls on permanent customers to buy Halva when he can’t find enough customers. in Amritsar on Saturday, July 18, 2020. (EXPRESS PHOTO OF RANA SIMRANJIT SINGH)
The famous “Kesar Da Dhaba” in the narrow alleys of the walled city of Amritsar was closed for two weeks last month after becoming part of the containment area. The kitchen fires were re-lit in the dhaba, but customers are rare.
While the walled city is known for its sumptuous food and famous restaurants, its dense population and congested streets have made it a high-risk area in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. That’s the reason why grocery store owners are suffering huge losses.
“Every time someone comes, we ask them to disinfect their hands and then we disinfect the table. We again sanitize the table when customers finish eating. But not many clients have come. We are not sure when it will be normal. We have been selling online, but overall sales have been affected, ”said Ramesh, owner of Kesar Dhaba.
“Our business will improve only if Delhi recovers from the coronavirus because only then will airports be opened and tourists allowed to come from other states and countries. Most of our business comes from tourists and they are not coming to the city at this time. I don’t think the government can do much to help us, “said Ashwani Vaid, manager Bharavan Da Dhaba, another famous food restaurant in the walled city.
Kulcha Land now has empty tables which also when half the tables have been removed to maintain social distancing in Amritsar on Saturday July 18, 2020. (PHOTO EXPRESSED BY RANA SIMRANJIT SINGH)
The walled city is equally famous for small food stalls and street markets, which are popular with locals and tourists.
Street food market Ganj Di Mori is a perfect example of an area where locals and tourists like to eat.
From vegetarian to non-vegetarian food and sweet dishes, everything here represents the local flavor.
Famous for his “Gur and Sujji Da Halva”, Girdhari Lal has had many permanent clients for the past 35 years.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Girdhari Lal said: “I have never seen anything like this in my life. I have many clients who would come to me two or three times in a week to eat halva. I will also have tourists. But now local customers are not arriving either. So sometimes when I stay with Halva when I close the booth, and then I try to call some of my permanent clients and ask them to buy the remaining halva. Most of them buy it from me because of our years of personal relationships, but it’s still a very difficult time for all of us. I don’t know when it would end and normal business will resume. ”
Surinder, another stall owner, added: “It is very difficult to change eating habits, but the coronavirus has shown that fear of death can dominate the love of food. I have been selling puri and aaloo-cholay for the past 20 years. Years. It’s a type of breakfast for many locals and merchants in the walled city. They can’t live without it. But very few people come now. Some of my clients told me they would eat again once the coronavirus is over. ”
Giyan Di Lassi has few drinkers due to COVID-19 in Amritsar on Saturday, July 18, 2020. (PHOTO EXPRESS BY RANA SIMRANJIT SINGH)
In normal times, customers would have a hard time finding a table in Kulcha Land, the famous makers of Amritsari Kulcha on Ranjit Avenue. However, things are different now. Half of the tables have been eliminated to maintain social distance, and even then the occupation is not 100 percent.
“Our Kulcha is famous in the world, but now the world cannot come to us because of the coronavirus. I have cut my workforce in half since most of them have returned to their villages. I think this year is already wasted and we hope we start to recover from next year, ”said owner Pawandeep Singh.
The famous Chicken Beera on Majitha Road is not yet open for customers. It only accepts online orders.
“I have not opened the restaurant. We are selling only online. I have employed some children to deliver food to homes. We now rely only on local customers, and local customers haven’t been calling in large numbers either. Not only are we suffering from a lack of tourists, but we are also suffering at first from rumors that the coronavirus is spread from chicken, “said Gurpreet Singh, owner of Beera Chicken.
He added: “I have increased at least Rs 20 per kg per plate so that the supply chain can recoup some losses caused by false news.”
Harjeet Singh, owner, Makhan Fish, blamed government policy for compounding his problems.
He said: “I don’t understand what the government wants to do. It has allowed the buses to operate with at least 60 passengers each. But the government has allowed only 50 people to also be in restaurants of at least 5,000 square feet. Do you find any logic behind these two parameters related to Covid-19? There are also orders that stores close at 8:30 p.m., when it is time for people to start leaving their homes for dinner outside. ”
The pandemic has not even been spared Gian Di Lassi, a forced departure upon returning from the Golden Temple. Established in 1921, Gian Di Lassi is famous for lassi and his special khoeya sweet milk dish.
“We have 25 percent of our business left. Tourists do not come. The school and universities are closed, so no students come. Our workers had gone to their home states via Sharamik trains and are now unable to return due to unavailability of trains, “said Mohinderpal Thakur, owner of Gian Di Lassi.
She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.