Tibetan market in Shimla's new complex fails to attract customers

Subhash Rajta

Shimla, October 9

Despite the festival season, there’s hardly any hustle and bustle at the city’s famous Tibetan market.

Shifted from its decades-old location below The Ridge to the newly constructed Ajivika Bhavan near the Lift on Cart Road, the Tibetan market is struggling to attract customers.

“You can see for yourself how the business is,” said Kalsang, a member of the Tibetan Market Association, pointing towards the almost deserted market.

“It’s festival season, but there are hardly any customers. We are making just around 20 per cent of what we used to make at the old location in a day. Sometimes, some of us do not sell even a single item in a day,” said Kalsang.

The Tibetan market was shifted to Ajivika Bhavan, constructed at a cost of around Rs 10 crore by the MC, Shimla, about 3-4 months back. Along with 76 Tibetan shopkeepers, 70 other street vendors had been allotted shops in the complex. The MC plans to auction the remaining 70 shops in the six-storey shopping complex having 218 shops.

While the Tibetan market has been shifted to the complex, other vendors have not moved in. “The Tibetan market has been shifted to the middle floors of the complex and the floors above and below us are unoccupied. It gives the impression that the building is unoccupied and people do not enter the complex,” said Kalsang.

“The authorities should make other vendors start their business here as soon as possible and also auction the remaining shops. Once there’s activity on top floors, people will flock to the complex and the business will pick up,” he said.

Besides, shopkeepers say there’s problem with cleaning arrangements and lighting at the complex. “We have to clean the floor ourselves in front of our shops. Also, the lights on the stairs outside the complex do not function properly and there’s no light on the staircase at the entrance from Cart Road,” said Tama, a shopkeeper. An ATM should be set up in the complex as the internet there is quite slow and making payment online was difficult.

Also, shopkeepers complain that lifts inside the complex have not been made functional yet. “The functional lifts will bring in more customers, especially those who can’t use stairs. Also, people will start using it to reach Sabji Mandi from Cart Road. While using these, they may stop at the market,” said Kalsang.

Sluggish business

It’s festival season, but there are hardly any customers. We are making just around 20 per cent of what we used to make at the old location in a day. — Kalsang, a shopkeeper