Territi Market Carnival of Lights

Arundhati Chatterjee

Territi Bazaar was named after its owner – a Venetian called Edward Tiretta, who was for some time the superintendent of streets and houses in the city of palaces. This market was valued at nearly Rs 2 lakh and yielded a monthly rent of Rs 3,600, occupying 9 bighas and 8 cottahs of land, “formed in two squares, with convenient shops, surrounded with a colonnade verandah, and the whole area of the square divided into commodious streets with pucka stalls”. So when did it become a bazaar known for its variety of electrical fittings and illuminations offered at bargain prices?

Searching for an answer we headed for Territi Bazaar where it is Diwali every night. Various shops selling lampshades, lights and décor, with their conspicuous display stand on the market. An old world charm coupled with such radiance makes Territi Bazaar special.

The Bazaar
Located bang opposite to Poddar Court on New CIT Road (India Exchange Place Extension), the building of Territi Bazaar can be entered through gates 1 to 5. However, the building plan of this crowded market, unlike New Market, is such that there is very little chance of one getting lost amidst so many gates. “There are 500 shops spread over the ground and first floor of the building,” informed shop owner Jugal Kishor Agarwal. Originally from Bangladesh, his father ran a grocery shop here, travelling to and fro from their hometown, during pre-partition days. Later, he turned to selling China-lights, and all kinds of electrical fittings- wires, switches, brackets and hooks.

As we stood discussing the past, we were distracted by the musical notes drifting from an adjacent shop. The shopkeeper demonstrated a remote controlled, musical LED chandelier. The crystal chandelier aglow with bluish hue was rotating to the rhythms of music (thanks to the MP3 player attached to it).

“Rs 4,000 only, for this unique piece”, the shopkeeper called out to his mesmerised customers. Drawn by the irresistible array of chandeliers of different sizes and designs, we inched closer to this shop. Here, there were unique pieces suited for every pocket. And then there were some shops that specialise in light brackets or wall mounts giving tough competition in terms of glitz and price to the shops selling chandeliers. LED panel lights for false ceilings in sitting or bed room are on display, in all shapes and colours. There is a plethora of shops, one after another, each like a tiny version of ‘Seesh Mahal’, leaving us puzzled about what to buy and from where to buy.

A regular customer, Saikat Dey from Ballygunge shared his shopping experience. He visits this bazaar whenever his house needs any electrical fittings, primarily because of the bargain price and variety offered by these shops. “Not only you can get such interesting variety of fancy China products here, but also the branded ones, be it Phillips, Havells or Bajaj. CFL, tube-light set, lights to be mounted on wall and ceilings, you are sure to get at least 30 to 35% discount here on branded products than anywhere else,” he explains.

A light bracket with two small stems of pink roses with LED inside them, and surrounded by tiny bulbs till the edge of the stand, comes with a string knob which regulate the way you can lit it up; you can lit up only the roses, or the circle of tiny bulbs, or all of them together. With so much to offer, the price was only Rs 400. The shop owner pointed out that with 500 shops selling similar items and breathing down each other’s neck, prices were already competitive. “No one needs to bargain here”, claimed the proprietor of Raja Electricals, located near Gate no. 3.

The Shops
Some shops seemed to be busier than others, either because they have been in business for a long time or for their wide stock. K. Electric, Light Zone, Super Lite, Navin Electrics figure prominently in this list.

History
As we moved from shop to shop, the oral history of this market gradually started taking shape in bits and pieces. The property passed into the hands of Maharaja of Bardhaman, Bijay Chand Mehtab and was mainly a grocery market in the beginning. The area had substantial Chinese population and they were the main patrons then. In 1948, the Maharaja sold it to four joint holders – Muralidhar Saraf, Fakir Chand Purahit, Mannalal Jajodia and Rohinilala Mittar. They gave a concrete shape to this market, and started leasing out to shopkeepers dealing with electrical goods. By 1991, the whole of Territi Market turned into a popular electrical lights and fittings market. Later, Rohinilala Mittar, a solicitor by profession opted out and the rest formed Sri Ganesh Properties Pvt. Ltd. Their heirs – Sanjay Saraf, Rishi Kumar Acharya and Ravi Kant Jajodia are the present directors of the company.

The Market
Another fascinating aspect is that since its transformation into an electrical goods zone, this place has perhaps never seen a slump in business. Sri Ganesh Properties with Rs 5,00,000 as paid up capital, mainly collect rents and ensure maintenance of the market, apart from its expansion.

Source of Products
Chinese-made fancy chandeliers and wall brackets are available here. Local ones manufactured in Kankurgachi, Manicktala, Shovabazaar are also sold alongside.

The Craftsmen
Majority of the products come from outside, specially the lights. However, hundreds of shops here deal only with the house wiring, switches and switch boards, hooks and clips as well. Some shop employees were busy customising the switch boards according to customer’s demands, others were busy coiling wires or repairing old table lamps to put on sale. Switch boards of different colours and texture can be found here costing as low as 25 paisa per square inch. No matter which shade of paint you choose for your home, this vast range of switches and switch boards are sure to give you the desired match or contrast effect.

Location
Territi Market stands on New CIT Road (India Exchange Place Extension), opposite Poddar Court. Kolkata – 700073

Working Hours
10:30 AM to 8 PM
(Till 5:30 PM on Saturdays)

Weekly off: Sunday

Car Parking: In the vicinity of Poddar Court, but critical to find.