Heritage haunt battles modern mallA glimpse into Forum on Elgin Road (above) and of New Market. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

One has changed the face of shopping in Calcutta overnight, the other is an old friend. One is being hailed as the way of tomorrow, the other is slipping slowly away. One is about cool consumerism, the other is about finding the best bargain.

Calcutta is in the grips of mall fever. With the Forums and the City Centres stepping in, the New Markets and the Vardaans have been reduced to the last resort for some. Have the older markets lost their utility? Is it pointless to hold on to the nostalgia? Or is there room enough for everyone?

Goodlife weighs the scales?

Serious shopping

You want to hang with your gang? Head for Forum. Ready for some power shopping with a list an arm long? Chances are, you will be making a trip to Vardaan. For experienced shoppers, destinations like Vardaan are still high on the hit list.

And though New Market’s bulbs may dim in comparison to City Centre’s neon signs, the prices make many a face light up even now. Vardaan’s tiny stores could leave those accustomed to Forum’s elbow space gasping for breath, but when space saved translates into tighter budgets, a little jostle doesn’t hurt as much.

Charm vs glitz

How long can New Market cash in on old-world charm, you may ask. Specially with the civic body all set to change it all?

What the City Centres of the world could not strip from this 135-year-old municipal market, its new avatar, complete with underground shopping and an above ground water fountain might just manage. It’s wait-and-watch till then.

But for now, the high ceilings, cobbled walkways and old shops still have their fair share of takers. Christmas and New Year aside, when the decaying market still comes to life, the place touches a chord with any Calcuttan.

New Market is a must-see for any visitor, while the homogenised glass-and-steel structures are best left out of guide books.

When it comes to ambience, however, New Market is the exception. Destinations such as Forum win hands-down over the indifferent air-conditioned markets that have peppered the city thus far. Small shops, cluttered interiors and Pan Parag don’t make for a very good mix.

And nostalgia is not a word GeNext has ever been friends with. When a cup of coffee in a food court lasts them a couple of hours, and the rest of the evening can be whiled away window shopping, the choice is clear.

“All my friends hang out at the mall. Even if I go to New Market or Treasure Island, what would I do there? The shopping is done by my parents. I go to a mall to kill time,” says Shreya Banerjee, a second year student.

All in one

The mall onslaught has not been able to maul the market for the sheer variety it provides. From garments to groceries, fancy cosmetics to stationary, anything and everything is available in New Market. Only City Centre even approaches to cover the spectrum, so far, and Hogg Market still holds the price and pick advantage.

The supermarkets of the city still can compete when it comes to fresh herbs, vegetables and fruit, leave alone the beef, ham, and poultry that can be readily found at New Market. But the supermarket format gains some ground on the strength of display, hygiene and packaging.

Food fetish

Both City Centre and Forum boast of multi-cuisine food courts where you have a pick of Indian and world cuisine (mostly in their desi forms). “Sometimes people don’t want to sit down for an elaborate meal. They want a quick bite and move on with their shopping or movie. Food courts fit the bill,” says Vineet Verma, general manager, City Centre.

The malls also provide standalone options like Oh! Calcutta and Starstruck in Forum, Pizza Hut, KFC and Orko’s in City Centre. The bite bill could not be more different at the old shopping destination, where roadside munchies reigned supreme.

New Market’s bakeries aside, the Globe gully pav bhaji and the Lighthouse lane chhola bhatura, the fresh juice and dosas, were ? and still are ? the highlights. Markets like Vardaan and AC both have colonies of junk food wallahs outside their doors, serving phuchkas, kulfi and chaat.

Fun & frolic

Even if you aren’t looking to replenish your wardrobe, malls and multiplexes provide much to do. Catch a movie at INOX, play some games at Timbuktoo, get the kids out of your hair in specialised play areas where they are sure to be safe. These are options that none of the old shopping haunts provide.

The New Market-area movie halls were once the best option, but given the dilapidated state they are in, chances are, you would choose not to make that trip. Or maybe once in a while, for old times’ sake.