40 mins ago
Heavy Rain Dampens Bandra Fair Opening, Stall Owners Fear Losses
The Bandra Fair in Mumbai began during heavy rain.
Because of the bad weather, fewer people came to visit.
This meant that stall owners sold fewer things than they expected.
Some vendors were worried they would lose money.
One vendor said renting a stall now costs much more than before.
A tent at the entrance fell down, but nobody was hurt.
A free haircut service also had very few customers.
The fair will continue for eight days, so vendors hope more people will come later.
Heavy rain kept visitors away from Mumbai’s Bandra Fair on its opening Sunday.
A shamiana at the entrance collapsed, but no casualties were reported.
Stall owners said poor sales could prevent them from recovering their expenses.
The lottery-based stall system has raised costs for some vendors, with one reporting a fee of ₹1.5 lakh.
A free haircut service also saw low turnout, with only 10–12 people using it by evening.
- Who
- Stall owners, fair visitors, basilica management, and service providers including hairstylist Thomson Fernandes were involved.
- What
- The eight-day Bandra Fair opened with low visitor turnout, disrupted sales, and a collapsed entrance shamiana.
- Where
- Around the Mount Mary steps leading to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount in Bandra, Mumbai.
- When
- The fair opened on Sunday; the report states that the event continues for eight days.
- Why
- Heavy rain kept visitors away and affected stall sales and other services.
Key facts
- Event
- Annual eight-day Bandra Fair
- Opening day
- Sunday
- Weather
- Heavy rain throughout the day
- Safety incident
- An entrance shamiana collapsed; no casualties were reported
- Stall allocation
- The basilica management has used a lottery system for the past two years
- Reported stall cost
- One vendor said the fee rose from ₹30,000–₹40,000 previously to ₹1.5 lakh
- Haircut turnout
- Only 10–12 people had used the free service by evening
Quotes
Thomson Fernandes
Celebrity hairstylist offering free haircuts during the fair
“There are no crowds and Sundays are usually the busiest. I do not know how many days it will take for me to make a profit.”
freepressjournal.in
“I had to move my kiosk from outside because of the rains and had to take the customers inside.”
freepressjournal.in
An unnamed stall owner
Fair stall owner discussing increased stall costs
“Earlier, I could get stalls for ₹30,000 to ₹40,000. This time I paid ₹1.5 lakh. I do not know if I will recover the money.”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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