Galiff Street Pet Bazaar

Arundhati Chatterjee

It is not unlikely that you may have been regaled by a popular story about how a pair of love birds bought from the pet bazaar at Galiff Street were robbed off their colours after being given a bath at home. And yet every Sunday morning this century-old pet bazaar is thronged by pet lovers simply because of the attractive bargains offered. If you have a connoisseur’s eyes then you are likely to succeed in picking the best breed. However, if you happen to be a novice, you might still go home with an adorable companion.

The Bazaar
Situated in a dingy lane, the market is scattered over a large stretch. Easily, the biggest pet bazaar in the city, the market brings together a variety of pet animals – pups, rabbits, guinea pigs, varieties of mice, birds, fishes and a vast range of flowering and decorative plants as well.

As you enter Galiff Street, you will be greeted by a variety of colourful birds of various sizes and at the most attractive prices. Gradually as you move in, you will catch sight of different breeds of pups. On both sides of the lane you will find vendors busy selling rabbits, guinea pigs and white mice followed by a mixed bag of fishes and an assortment of flowers and garden plants.

The busy lane is thronged by vendors busy selling a pair of parakeets, sparrows and guinea pigs among several other pet animals. This market is also the perfect place to pick up accessories such as cages, aquariums, seeds, pesticides and manure.

The market is open only on Sundays when the traffic movement is restricted on this stretch of road. It market opens around 7 AM in the morning and remains operational till 3 PM in the afternoon. The best time to visit the market is early in the morning for a detailed inspection and to get a good deal which would otherwise become difficult once the crowd starts building up between 11 AM and 2 PM.

“We want to set up the market on other days as well but the government is not ready to give its consent. On Sundays, traffic movement on this road remains closed for this haat except for trams”, said a bird seller. “Beware of pick pockets or you may end up losing your mobile phone or your wallet in the unruly crowd”, he cautioned.

Although an unorganised market, however, it is expanding at its own pace. “People often term it as an illegal / unorganised market, however, they still turn up in huge numbers on Sundays to buy a pup, a pair of love birds, rabbits and so on. The popularity of the market has kept it rolling and the authorities hasn’t treathened our existence so far”, commented a vendor who wished to remain anonymous.

History
The market is said to have been established in the British era, hence one can only guess how old it is. “Earlier the haat used to be held at Hatibagan but because of space constraint and the traffic getting badly choked, it was shifted to Galiff Street,” said AR Ali, who followed his family tradition of doing business in this market. “It was during the tenure of former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, that the market shifted to Galiff Street”, added Ali. “This is the oldest animal market in West Bengal and India. Most of the animal and plant sellers have been doing business here for years,” said Amar Chakraborty, who sells pups, and specilises in selling German Spitz. However, most sellers are not aware of the exact year when the market was founded. It had simply sprung up and continued for generations because of its unique products and popularity.

Market Economics
Business is simply booming. With around 300 sellers in the market selling different breeds of dogs, birds, fishes, plants and other pet animals. The market is a paradise for pet lovers in the city.

However, there is a risk factor involved for customers seeking to buy pets at half the usual price. According to Smita Bagchi, a buyer, “Often termed as Chor Bazaar, the sellers apparently get the pets by various illegal means and hence there is no guarantee on the quality of the breed one buys from here. One has to be very careful, else you are sure to return home feeling cheated.”

When asked about the pedigree of a pup, Suman Ghosh, a pup seller replied, “You can always see and understand if a dog is healthy or not” while holding up the two Labrador pups – one looked moderately healthy and the other quite fragile.

Showing off his stock of Spitz, Alsatian, Doberman, Dalmation, Golden Retriever and Pug, Ghosh said: “Over 2,500 people visit this market every Sunday morning to get the best buy at lowest price.”

Asked about the reason for low prices, Ghosh said: “We get our stock from outskirts of the city. Thus, we charge very less for a pair of pups or exotic birds. We even breed dogs on our own and so we can sell it at an affordable price to our customers. A customer can also sell pups to us once their dog has undergone breeding.”

The vendors are constantly on their toes showcasing their products to prospective customers. Trading is done in cash only and there is no guarantee on products bought from this market. So customers have to be quite careful about their purchase.

Business
Business is at its peak all round the year. According to Dipen Nandan who deals with various breeds of pups and dogs, “The popularity of our market increases every day and hence our sale increases too. We keep very less stocks here but if a customer wants to see a variety of breeds, he can even visit my house to get the best deal.” While some agreed to his viewpoint others felt that the market was more profitable when it was located in Hatibagan.

Dogs
When you visit the dog section, you will witness different breeds of pups kept inside a cage. At times the seller would bring out one or two pups and hold them up to display to the customers. “If you want to get a cross breed, do visit my kennel”, said Biren Das, busy bargaining with a buyer. When asked about the documents certifying the pedigree of the pup, he informed that the papers would be made available but at an additional charge of INR 1500. While few other vendors said that they will not be unable to provide any such documents.

Tips before buying a pup: Ensure that the under-eyes and the gums of the pup are not white (which indicate the pup is anaemic). Do not take a pup you find lying at one corner of the cage or looks weak or sick. Always check the nose of the pup if it’s wet, do not buy if the nose is dry or a pup has a weak limb. Pup accessories like their food bowl, leash, balls and others are also available at a good bargain.

Birds – Rat – Guinea Pig – Rabbit
You will find yourself jostling for space in the busy bird section of the market where cages with love birds, cockatiel, pigeons, java finches and budgerigars can be found on both sides of the street. After bargaining, one can pick up a pair of Love birds for INR 500, budgerigars for INR 100, Java for INR 500, or a pigeon for a mere INR 30. If you are lucky, you may also return home with a swan for INR 500 and ducklings for INR 30 each!

When asked about talking parrots, a bird-seller said: “Under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, endangered birds like parrots are banned from sale.” A big board has been put up conveying the same but if you walk on, you will find a pair of talking parakeets, discreetly stuffed inside cages.

Fish
Continue to look around and the riot of colours will tell you are in the fish section. Large plastic tumblers contain the colourful species set off brilliantly in beds of yellow sand, coloured pebbles and greens. Gold fish, black molly, highfin variegated platy and angel fish are the most popular buys here.

Plants
People who are fond of gardening or decorating their houses with crotons and flowering plants can also visit the market to buy saplings at attractive rates. Plants like hibiscus, roses, jasmines, lilies and orchids are available at INR 10 and INR 20. Besides, seeds and saplings are also available at rates as low as INR 5. After spending a few hours at the market, you are unlikely to return home alone; a sweet puppy, a pair of love birds or a rabbit, a couple of fishes or a few flowering plants would definitely be your new companion.

Fast Facts
Galiff Street
Location: Near Shyambazar 5-Point
crossing and BT Road)
Open: Sundays
Timings: 7 AM to 3PM
Car parking: Available in the vicinity