THE CORNERED SWEET SHOPS
Obama Elected: Make A Run For The Gun Shops!
Mishti ‘sweet’ Sandesh
Is it time to set up legal organ shops?
Cola:A Sweet And Slow Poison!
Bolé To, Corruption is Sometimes Sweet
By Vincent Van Ross
It is a unique phenomenon. I found it in Delhi for the first time. Then I found this phenomenon being replicated in other north Indian cities. I feel certain that it exists in other parts of the country. And, I am sure this phenomenon would be carried to other countries of the world as well. Aggarwal sweet shops are found in this corner and that corner in the market. And, they are always called Aggarwal Sweet Corner!
By Vincent Van Ross
I am yet to come across an Aggarwal sweet shop in the middle of a market. That is not to say that there are no sweet shops in the middle. Usually, if you find a sweet shop in the middle of the market, it may not be owned by an Aggarwal!
In Munirka, for instance, there is an Aggarwal Sweet Corner at each of the two corners of the market.
Aggarwals are a business community from northern India. While their business activities extend far beyond sweetmeats (mithai), a good number of them are engaged in the sweet business!
These sweet shops no longer deal only in sweetmeats. They have diversified to salty preparations (namkeens) and fast food. Their product line ranges from Ladoo and Burfi to Son Papri and Chum Chum; from Samosa and Tikki to Golgappa and Dahi Bhalle; from Aaloo Chat and Namak Parre to Chole Bhattorey and Chow Mein. And, there is Kulfi Falooda, Jalebi, Fruit Juice and a whole lot of other goodies in between. The list is almost endless.
While some of them claim that it is a good omen to have their sweet shops in the corners, I think there is a business angle to it. If the shop is in the middle of the market, you have a very small opening at the front. But, if the shop is in the corner, you can have two sides open.
With two sides open, a corner shop may have several counters which open directly in front of the shop. So, the shop keepers can segregate and deal with customers, who come for different kinds of products, separately. In fact, the customers need not even enter the shop to buy or eat these products. They could do that standing outside the shop. That reduces the crowd inside the shop who come to buy sweetmeats.
Now you know why the Aggarwals have cornered the corner shops for Aggarwal Sweet Corner(s)!
