Fraser Town residents welcome orderly Iftar food fair

Bengaluru: Fraser Town's Mosque Road and MM Road were aglow in the evening with vibrant lights, a hint of smoke in the air, and the tantalising aroma of Turkish ice-cream wafting through the streets.

Stricter restrictions on the famous Ramzan food trail this year did little to curb the enthusiasm, with food stalls in the street displaying a wide variety of kebabs, desserts, and other culinary delights.

Over the years, the Iftar food fair in Fraser Town has been a magnet for food buffs across the city, triggering traffic chaos in the residential neighbourhood.

The BBMP this year has banned stalls on the footpaths, thanks to the memorandum presented by the Fraser Town Residents’ Welfare Association (FTRWA) to Pulikeshinagar MLA AC Srinivasa.

Therefore, restaurants have set up ‘Ramzan food counters’ inside their premises, careful not to block pedestrian and traffic movement.

FTRWA vice-president Saud Dastagir, who spearheaded the campaign to curtail the food trail, said the fair is not culturally significant of Ramzan and has indeed done more harm than good to people, the nature of celebrations and the city residents. He believed that the ban has brought some semblance of calm to the usually chaotic areas.  

"Our mosques are full,” Dastagir noted. “People can reach the mosques on time for the prayers. Residents are happy and traffic is less. The streets (also) look great." 

Local MLA Srinivasa said acting on the residents’ request was important since the problem concerns public order. “The pressure (on government) to ban (street stalls) is not new,” he said. “The stalls, and the consequent congestion, caused inconvenience to residents for the past few years. We decided to take strict action this time.”

Several restaurants endorsed the restrictions, acknowledging that the crowds caused confusion, congestion, and littering. Some said the BBMP should have made space for parking near the East Football Ground to avoid chaos.

"The food fair is a special occasion," noted Salim, manager of Cafe Iftar on Mosque Road. “Students and youngsters throng our stalls for cheap rolls and kebabs. This is a celebratory moment. Traffic (anyways) is a problem, regardless of the fair.”

A traffic policeman deputed near MM Road said the curbs on the Iftar trail has normalised traffic. He said higher crowds and moderate congestion is expected over the weekend, given the Iftar offers and special takeaways.

Food stalls at Fraser Town