Shopping in Haldwani

 Oh, the joys of shopping in a small town. Today in Haldwani, we took an auto and went for shopping. It has been ages since, I had this kind of a relaxed time for shopping and I really do not remember if at all I found time in Hyderabad to just go around with our any specific purpose. My father used to tell us when we were much younger that  all of you come and shop in Haldwani  as if nothing is available in Hyderabad. There are various reasons for this. One you have a lot of free time. One can just walk around and get what ever one is looking for. Here the whole environment is so informal and friendly that  one can immediately  make a connection with the local peson selling his wares. Even the tailor who has been stitching  clothes for more than three decades comes home to take your clothes, your fitting, discusses the designs and delivers the stitched clothes at  home. One can hop into an electrified Rikshaw or auto for ten rupees and go to the market. Lot of woollen clothes are being sold on the road side bandees and there is a huge winter rush to buy caps, mufflers, shawls and woolen pyjamas. I could see a lot of road side vendors  selling the artificial  pahadi jewellery the guloband, charyuw etc.  which is generally made  in gold and is given during the time of marriage. These looked beautiful and had amazing designs. Also visited a shop that was selling pahadi legumes and other stuff  and he cleaned the dal infront of us before packing it. Also got the other  typically pahadi delicacies like badi, mungodi, bhatt, bhangira,  gadraini, masoor and Rajmah from Munshiyari. The big cities with their Mall cultures are loosing this individual touch. Many malls are now  coming in and around Haldwani too but I do not want to visit them.I am not sure for how long these small shop vendors can survive the onslaught of Globalisation. It is a pity that  with Globalisation we  will loose all this old world charm of the small shopkeeper selling his wares to you and making you feel so much at home as if you are his guest or even related to him. The modern market place becomes very commercial and alienated. I do not think, I have got this personal touch any where in Hyderabad for now we are buying all  vegetables groceries from big malls.