Sadar Bazar to get Chandni Chowk-like facelift soon

gurugram: The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram is planning to revamp Gurugram's largest and oldest market along the lines of the facelift that Delhi' Chandni Chowk is set to get soon.

The public agency has begun the process of considering proposals where the main stretch of Sadar Bazaar starting from the Post Office to Jama Masjid will be made a vehicle-free zone.

Taking cues from Chandni Chowk and other major shopping centers in major cities of the world, there are plans to beautify the pedestrian walkways. In addition to this, the entire stretch of Sadar Bazaar is expected to have a free Wi-Fi connection.

Planning for the project is underway and footpaths and additional parking facilities for cars and two-wheelers are likely to be included, said senior officials of the civic body.

If all goes to plan, part of the works for revamping Sadar Bazar is expected to begin in the third week of November. "For long there are complaints of congestion, traffic jams and encroachments at Sadar Bazar. This, in turn, has impacted the business potential of the area. For a shopping market which is more than 100 years old it is important that there are plans to revive the lost legacy of the oldest and largest market of Gurugram," said Madhu Azad, the Gurugram Mayor, who also happens to live near Sadar Bazar.

Even as the sheen of Sadar may have come off in the recent past with the coming up of various high-end malls, the area is still renowned for reliving the old world charm of

Gurugram.

Besides restaurants that were opened by migrants of West Punjab who came and settled here post the partition, Sadar Bazaar and Jacob Pura are also famous for electronic shops, jewellers and tailors. Moreover, as Sadar is the most centrally located area in Old Gurugram, most commuters who come to the old city have to cross the market. Poor maintenance and encroachments have resulted in most buyers venturing to other market places in the city.

"For long, the stepmotherly treatment that has been meted out to Sadar Bazaar has resulted in it losing to other market places in Gurugram. Post lockdown also there were various instances in which the traders were harassed by the authorities. We are willing to help the authorities in their effort to revamp Sadar Bazar but in doing so I hope that the traders and the buyers would not face problems," said Shivendra Narang, one of the wholesale traders in the market.