There’s nothing quite like Pangul Galli
Pangul Galli is a phenomenon. You can’t understand until you’ve experienced. I’d never heard about this narrow by -lane of Ganpat Galli until a few years ago. And then it trolled me, like it did many others. So much so that today, when you need anything, from Kurtis to plastic ware, kitchenware, toys, gifts, cloth and cosmetics, and you say you’ve bought it someplace else, you’ll much likely hear someone say “Why didn’t you buy it at Pangul Galli? You’d get cheaper”.
A simple street that was known for the lone landmark, the famous Ashwathama temple, somehow found fame as businesses set shop to be near the golden quadrilateral of Belgavi’s business area.
Today, the real estate prices here are higher than some other tony areas of the town. It houses dinghy shops, spacious showrooms and hole –in- the- wall stockists selling everything from flowers, henna, eggs (yes!), bangles, upholstery, sarees, cosmetics, plastic toys, chair, kids school items, readymade clothes, birthday party paraphernalia and so much more.
Sadly, it has gained repute not for the variety but for being cheap. Dotted are the many complexes that are lined with shops, most run by some person with the surname ‘Choudhury’. And don’t be surprised if they’ll actually compete even on wholesale prices just to cut the competitor’s business if the deal is a good one. Otherwise, since all shops claim wholesale prices, there’s no favoring the customer, nor showing him options. It’s more like take it or leave it, unless your order is a big one. It’s fun to watch women haggling in a weird combo of Hindi-Marathi that the seemingly Rajashthani chap in the shop can barely understand. Not that the goods there come really dirt cheap or that the quality is awesome, it’s just the joy of buying here that makes you feel you’ve got the best deal.