Soon after the renovation and beautification of Namak Mandi in the center of Peshawar, the new food street has become a popular venue, attracting large number of visitors, especially tikka lovers. They come catch up on the latest gossip, while enjoying a wide variety of lamb and mutton delicacies – all done in the iconic Namak Mandi style.
Historians of Peshawar say that this place once was a center for the salt trade in the region. In the pre-Partition era, the salt traders used to have their stacks of salt preserved in the godowns of Namak Mandi. People, many from neighboring countries, would come here and barter for this salt with a variety of everyday commodities. Over the years, the salt business diminished, but the place has retained the name by which it earned recognition long ago.
Today, the very mention of Namak Mandi conjures up images of the hearty, meat-heavy cuisine of Peshawar.
Namak Mandi is now saturated with medicine markets and tandoors – and even banks and general stores. But the larger part of the Mandi is dominated by lamb and mutton restaurants. The cooks here have achieved legendary status with meat – and the visitor can see it immediately even as they pass by.
The decades old Namak Mandi Food Point was already famous for mutton tikka. The area was also a hub of other business like tyre shops, rubber and wholesale medicines. But owing to the polluted environment outside the food point, one would find it hard to sit for too long outside the restaurants – even though committed patrons did it.
The recent measures taken to renovate the Food Street will not only provide a beautiful look for the visitors to enjoy, but will also contribute to boosting the business of local people – especially those affiliated with the meat restaurants.
The incumbent city district government took the initiative to renovate some open space in the surrounding tikka market for visitors, so as to attract more customers and to provide an appropriate environment for visitors to enjoy the historical foods of Peshawar’s Namak Mandi.
Before renovation, there were some warehouses of scrap metal and other rough materials, having an adverse impact on this popular business. The whole market was renovated and the old warehouses have been shifted to other areas beyond the tikka shops. The pavement has been made with tiles and marble. And the seating areas are now equipped with special huts to catch the attention of visitors, where they can enjoy their food in peace.
“We are receiving a great number of customers as compared to the past, as the market is now presenting a beautiful look after renovation. Some people are coming only to see the renovated market and after visiting the Bazaar they stay for some Mutton Karahi,” says Habibullah Malang, who works at a local tikka restaurant.
Malang says that the restaurants are grateful to the government for this important step of beautification - which came at no cost to the local restaurant-owning community, while their shops and fronts were festooned.
He added that the situation before completion of this project was presenting a grimy look and the surrounding was not suitable to get refreshment outside the hotels due to dust, but now visible change could be seen in the open areas around the hotel which could be used to enjoy food and Qahwa in hygienic environment.
A tikka shop owner named Ghazi told this scribe that earlier the lawn was reserved for car parking. It has now been turned into an open lawn with huts. Though the area was cleaned from waste and beautified to a great extent, there is one drawback: the parking space is gone. This is a matter of some concern for restaurant owners. However the government has started work on another parking plaza to provide an alternative.
The project was completed by the city district government under the auspices of former district Nazim Muhammad Asim. When contacted, the focal persons for the project Taqdeer Ali says that some Rs 54 million have been spent on the renovation process for Namak Mandi Food Point. He believes this will greatly help to boost business in this popular Bazaar.
He says that after completion of this project, the car parking plaza with at a cost of Rs 300 million is under construction, which would be completed in the next few years. He says that this parking plaza would have eight wide floors which would accommodate a large number of vehicles at reasonable charges.
There is a dire need to extend the project to the whole Namak Mandi as foreign tourists and Chinese gemsstone traders are frequently visiting to enjoy Peshawar’s karahi and Sikh Tikka. Special attention is needed to remove encroachments. There will also have to be some attention paid towards reconstructing the footpaths and drainage of the area.
Historians of Peshawar say that this place once was a center for the salt trade in the region. In the pre-Partition era, the salt traders used to have their stacks of salt preserved in the godowns of Namak Mandi. People, many from neighboring countries, would come here and barter for this salt with a variety of everyday commodities. Over the years, the salt business diminished, but the place has retained the name by which it earned recognition long ago.
Today, the very mention of Namak Mandi conjures up images of the hearty, meat-heavy cuisine of Peshawar.
Namak Mandi is now saturated with medicine markets and tandoors – and even banks and general stores. But the larger part of the Mandi is dominated by lamb and mutton restaurants. The cooks here have achieved legendary status with meat – and the visitor can see it immediately even as they pass by.
The decades old Namak Mandi Food Point was already famous for mutton tikka. The area was also a hub of other business like tyre shops, rubber and wholesale medicines. But owing to the polluted environment outside the food point, one would find it hard to sit for too long outside the restaurants – even though committed patrons did it.
The recent measures taken to renovate the Food Street will not only provide a beautiful look for the visitors to enjoy, but will also contribute to boosting the business of local people – especially those affiliated with the meat restaurants.
The incumbent city district government took the initiative to renovate some open space in the surrounding tikka market for visitors, so as to attract more customers and to provide an appropriate environment for visitors to enjoy the historical foods of Peshawar’s Namak Mandi.
There is a dire need to extend the project to the whole Namak Mandi as foreign tourists and Chinese gemstone traders are frequently visiting to enjoy Peshawar's Karahi and Sikh Tikka
Before renovation, there were some warehouses of scrap metal and other rough materials, having an adverse impact on this popular business. The whole market was renovated and the old warehouses have been shifted to other areas beyond the tikka shops. The pavement has been made with tiles and marble. And the seating areas are now equipped with special huts to catch the attention of visitors, where they can enjoy their food in peace.
“We are receiving a great number of customers as compared to the past, as the market is now presenting a beautiful look after renovation. Some people are coming only to see the renovated market and after visiting the Bazaar they stay for some Mutton Karahi,” says Habibullah Malang, who works at a local tikka restaurant.
Malang says that the restaurants are grateful to the government for this important step of beautification - which came at no cost to the local restaurant-owning community, while their shops and fronts were festooned.
He added that the situation before completion of this project was presenting a grimy look and the surrounding was not suitable to get refreshment outside the hotels due to dust, but now visible change could be seen in the open areas around the hotel which could be used to enjoy food and Qahwa in hygienic environment.
A tikka shop owner named Ghazi told this scribe that earlier the lawn was reserved for car parking. It has now been turned into an open lawn with huts. Though the area was cleaned from waste and beautified to a great extent, there is one drawback: the parking space is gone. This is a matter of some concern for restaurant owners. However the government has started work on another parking plaza to provide an alternative.
The project was completed by the city district government under the auspices of former district Nazim Muhammad Asim. When contacted, the focal persons for the project Taqdeer Ali says that some Rs 54 million have been spent on the renovation process for Namak Mandi Food Point. He believes this will greatly help to boost business in this popular Bazaar.
He says that after completion of this project, the car parking plaza with at a cost of Rs 300 million is under construction, which would be completed in the next few years. He says that this parking plaza would have eight wide floors which would accommodate a large number of vehicles at reasonable charges.
There is a dire need to extend the project to the whole Namak Mandi as foreign tourists and Chinese gemsstone traders are frequently visiting to enjoy Peshawar’s karahi and Sikh Tikka. Special attention is needed to remove encroachments. There will also have to be some attention paid towards reconstructing the footpaths and drainage of the area.