I have lots of fond memories of the Shandy Day in KGF. When
we were young we would accompany my dad to the Market in Robertsonpet as a
treat on Sundays. The Market was named as Mahatma Gandhi Market. Sunday was ‘Shandy
Day’ and the market was always filled with people. Traders would come in from
all the nearby villages to sell their produce. Everything was quite cheap in
those days. My dad would buy fresh vegetables and fruit required for the week
and we would help to carry the bags.
The sights and smells
and the hustle and bustle of the market as soon as one stepped in was so
exciting. It was a joy to see the mounds of fresh vegetables, fruits, bags of
pulses, grains, sugar sweets, fried savouries, etc besides shops selling Plastic
toys and games for just a couple of Rupees. Choosing what toy to buy with our
pocket money of Two Rupees was quite a decision and we had to weigh the merits
of a plastic or paper windmill against a spinning top or plastic gun.
After the vegetable and grocery shopping was over, our next stop
would be at Aleem Bakery or Omar Bakery for cool drinks and hot chicken or vegetable
puffs. (I don’t think they made somasas as in those days) We’d then buy buns
and coconut biscuits and muffins to take home.
The coconut muffins in Omar’s Bakery were especially nice as the
muffins were filled with sweet, juicy coconut shavings and the outer pastry
would just melt in our mouths!! The sponge cakes and Fairy cakes too were light
and delicious.
Jewel
Coffee Powder Centre was just next to Aleem Bakery and my dad
usually stopped there to buy the week’s requirement of coffee powder and tea
leaves. The smell of fresh, just roasted
coffee beans was just heaven!! With our bags laden with all the stuff that we
bought in town, we’d take a jatka ride back to our house in Nandydroog Mine. It
was time to wait for another week before we went to the Market again.
