Lanes deserted: Corona ends foreigners’ tryst with Kashi
BUSINESS HIT Hapless traders say the Covid-19 pandemic ruined their business and uncertainty looms large over their future
VARANASI: The serpentine lanes of Kashi, studded with many small shops selling handicrafts, traditional Banarasi sarees, ethnic clothes and musical instruments etc remained deserted for close to 70 days following the corona-induced lockdown. The shops, too, remained shut.
Activity returned on June 1 when the lockdown was lifted and shops reopened in the first week of this month after the district administration’s permission.
But foreign tourists, who loved to soak in the sights and sound of this ancient seat of Hindu mysticism and were prominent customers for local traders, are missing.
Now, shops on either side of the lanes open on alternate days and remain closed on Sunday. The shopkeepers wait for the customers from morning till evening but get only a few.
The hapless traders say that the pandemic ruined their business and uncertainty looms large. Aman Srivatava sits idle at his shop in Haathi Phatak which attracts foreigners from different parts of the world. Srivastava deals in traditional wear, mostly bought by foreign tourists during their visit to the ancient city. But there has hardly been any sale during the past three months.
“There is no customer. Shopkeepers like me open shops in the morning and keep awaiting customers till evening. Covid-19 has badly affected our small business that completely depends on foreign tourists. As there is no tourist, there is no business,” said Aman.
Before the outbreak of Covid-19, the situation was different.
The lanes were full of foreign tourists. Many of them could be seen sitting in the shops and buying traditional wear. “Soon after reaching Varanasi, most of the foreigners dress up a bit differently. They wear Ali Baba trousers and traditional kurtas and wrap a stole around their neck. Almost every foreigner buys Ali Baba trousers. During the past three months, however, I couldn’t sell even a single piece because there are no foreign tourists,” Aman Srivastava said.
In the entire day, only three or four customers visit his shop to buy sarees and kurtas. He doesn’t foresee any change in the situation in the near future since international flights are suspended at present and foreigners will start coming only when air travel resumes.
There are many eateries too in the lanes, known for serving Italian, Korean and Chinese food. They also serve local delicacies. These eateries and restaurants are also deserted. There are no customers in coffee shops or at tea stalls. “The global pandemic devastated our business. We are running short of funds. Only God knows when normalcy will return,” said Rajan Yadav, who runs a small hotel in a lane and demands support from the government.
Shambhunath owns a small general store in a lane. “This shop is my source of income. I used to earn enough to meet my daily expenses. Now, though I open the shop three day a week, there is no buyer. In normal days, foreigners used to buy general items from my shop. After outbreak of Covid-19, things went topsy turvy,” he said.
He hopes the situation will improve and the tough phase will soon be over. Abhishek Prajapati owns a café in a lane near Pandey Ghat. It serves Korean dishes and Korean coffee. Prajapati has been opening the café for one or two hours three day a week since the first week of June but not a single customer has visited it. “My business will revive only when foreign tourists start arriving in the city. I don’t think that this is going to happen in the near future,” Prajapati said.
Prof Atul Tripathi of the department of history of arts, BHU said, “Lanes of Banaras not only preserve both tangible and intangible heritage of the temple town but also are a source of making a living for the locals. Small shops on either side of the lanes depend on tourists in general and foreigners in particular for their business. As there is no arrival of foreign tourists due to Covid-19, these shops have suffered badly. The situation will improve only when the arrival of foreign tourists begins.”