Mullick Bazaar A Treasure Trove Of Car Spares

Ankita Chakraborty

It is difficult to trace back the past history of Mullick Bazaar – the largest market for second hand automobile spares in Calcutta. Legend has it that it was named after a cloth merchant who owned a shop in the area back in 1800s. Today, the market has countless small stalls spread over a vast area. So when exactly did Mullick Bazaar become a largest market known for its myriad of re-used car spare parts offered at bargain prices?

A cacophony of horns, revving of engines, pounding of metal sheets and sounds of welding greeted us as we meandered through the gathering of mechanics, customers, vehicles, tyres and auto parts piled on the road, trying to trace the evolution of this bazaar into a unique flea market for auto parts. Located at Mullick Bazaar Lane near Park Street it has actually spilled over on the wide road, reducing its width considerably. The hustle and bustle of the market and round-the-clock busy atmosphere makes Mullick Bazaar a rather interesting place – especially for car restorers and enthusiasts. for you never know what hidden gem you might stumble upon.

The Bazaar
Located bang next to Park Street and AJC Bose Road crossing, the market is spread around five narrow lanes in a closed compound. Although utterly congested with small shops Mullick Bazaar is truly the product of haphazard growth. “There is nothing related to cars which cannot be found here. Every kind of spare parts is available here in the market,” informed a veteran shop owner, Mahesh Agarwala. He was the first Marwari to have a shop in Mullick Bazaar, some 45 years ago. Since then, several Marwaris have set up their shops in this market which is mainly dominated by Muslims.

Some shops chose to specialise in accessories or car decor, while others sell tools and spare parts, while some others are into the business of car and bike repairs. Seat covers, bumpers, coil spring, shock absorber, disc and drum brakes, axle, doors, side panels, fenders to both digital or analog meters and even tyres – you just have to name it. There is a plethora of shops, one after another, leaving most first-timers puzzled about which shop to choose; but a good bargain is a must.

“The market here is very competitive. If one shop asks for more prices for an item then the customer will simply go to the next shop,” points out Shiv Kumar Singh of Welcome Motors which deals in car accessories and fittings.

A regular customer, Md. Qasim from Ranchi is a frequent visitor to this bazaar whenever he needs any spare parts, primarily because of the bargain price and variety offered by these shops. “You get each and every spare part of both old and new models of cars, even the branded ones. In addition you will get second hand products at less than half the price of a new one,” he explains.

“A branded new LED backlight at a company showroom may cost you around INR 2,500 but the same pre-used item will be only INR 250. It is almost one-tenth of the cost,” informed Ranjan Sirkar. He had been visiting this second hand car spare parts market for the last 50 years.

Oldest Store
Girish Auto Meter established in 1924 is among the oldest shops. Anand Prasad Shaw calls the shots here; he took over the business from his grandfather and father. They are currently running the show as a family; his two sons are also working with him in the shop. “Our shop has been here since ages. We have been repairing meters, starting with analog ones to the currently used digital meters of all types of vehicles”, says Anand Prasad Shaw. It is his expertise in meter repairing that has led to his demand among motorists in the city. In fact several car rallyists regularly queue up in front of the shop. “We are the only makers of rally meters in Calcutta,” said Anand with a touch of pride.

The Shops
Ajit Motors (tyres), Girish Auto Meter (meter repairing), Harihar Prasad Store (car tools and suspension parts), Popular Motor Store (fancy car accessories) and Circular Motor Store (car decor and lights) are among the popular shops; their popularity can be attributed either to their expertise or their advantageous location at the front portion of the market.

History
We picked up bits and pieces of history as we spoke to the shop-owners and regular customers. The property has passed through many hands and at present there are several owners of the plots that make up Mullick Bazaar. Earlier it was known as Lohapatti, where products, primarily made of iron were sold. At that time, horse drawn carriages were used to transport these iron items from the dock to this bazaar. With time Mullick Bazaar’s transformation to a market dealing solely in second hand car spare parts took place.

The Market
Barring one or two shops, none of the establishments are owned by those who are presently running it. The shops are leased out to shopkeepers for a meager amount. All the shop-owners pay rent to their respective landlords for an amount varying between

INR 50 to INR 1000 depending on the shop’s location and owner’s discretion.

Source of products
The earliest sources of products were mainly factory rejects from OEMs and spare parts sold as scraps by garages to pheriwallahs. Cars auctioned by the government and military or insurance salvaged cars also find its way into the backyard of Mullick Bazaar. The parts were then repaired and made usable. Nowadays, spare parts and second hand tyres are also sourced from all over India mainly, Delhi and Mumbai. “Rare spare parts of vintage cars are also available at Mullick Bazaar but you will have to search for it,” informed Ranjan Sirkar.

The Craftsmen
“Astonishingly, it only takes 30 minutes to reduce a car to scrap at the backyard of Mullick Bazaar,” pointed out Ajay Ghosh, a frequent visitor to the bazaar. His visits to the market are evidence enough that Mullick Bazaar is a gold mine of sorts for those dealing with vintage or classic models, both in terms of procuring spare parts and skilful mechanic who can even make one for you to suit your requirement. Every mechanic at the market is skilled with their own set of expertise. Yet, the cost of meter repairing is as low as INR 100. One can repair practically every component of the car at Mullick Bazaar. Tyres, lights, engine – everything can be repaired at that very spot. “Business is not that good here as before, we are repairing things at a very nominal rate due to competition,” lamented Sanjiv Gupta, who runs a horn repairing shop at Mullick Bazaar. But thanks to Mullick Bazaar, motorists in the city can maintain their vehicles at a much lesser cost than other metroes.