This Ram Navami, Lord Ram has come as a boon to around 100 Muslim families in Kolkata who make a living from the horse-drawn carriages.
This Ram Navami, Lord Ram has come as a boon to around 100 Muslim families in Kolkata who make a living from the horse-drawn carriages.
During a time when demand for a phaeton or buggy ride along the Victoria Memorial is abysmally low and has been worsened owing to the rising mercury, owners of horse-drawn carriages have something to cheer about. The reason — all of them will be likely to be booked for Ram Navami on March 25.
Charges for booking for a four hour-session is between Rs 3,500 and Rs 5,000 depending upon the kind of carriage and number of horses.
“It has been a windfall gain since last year. Earlier Ram Navami was not celebrated with so much grandeur but thanks to the BJP leaders Ram Navami has been organised with a lot of pomp and show since 2017. During this time of the year business usually slumps because of the weather and wedding season is also over. We get to earn some extra bucks owing to Ram Navami,” said Noor Alam who was seen getting his horse readied at the stable near Race Course.
There are about 50 horse-carriages that are found in this area and each of those is used to earn a living for two families – the owner and the labourer who is engaged.
He said that these horse and carriages are rented out during marriages.
“The terms and conditions remain the same for Ram Navami as well. We wash and massage the horses, clean and polish the carriages and take those to the venue. The rest of the charges such as decorations with flowers and lights are taken care of by the client. The carriages with mirrors cost a little more than the others and are charged for a four-hour session,” Alam said. Some of the carriages have been hired for Ram Navami celebrations at places as far as Dankuni and Barrackpore.
Another owner of four horses and carriages, SK Firoz, said that the demand rose so much during this time that sometimes they have to work double shifts. If the horse and carriage is hired in the morning for pujas, we also let it out during the evening as well.
“I don’t think any of the carriages will be available after March 20. The lucky ones will earn around Rs 10,000 on that day if a double shift contract can be managed,” Firoz said. He admitted that the demand for these joyrides have touched rock bottom and had it not been for Ram Navami and fancy marriages, they would not break even.
The 14-year-old SK Alauddin who works as the carriage driver for tourists who go on a ‘chakkar’ around the Maidan area on the carriage is also excited. “One ride around the ground with a group of 4-5 visitors costs anything between Rs 300 and 500 depending on the bargain. Foreign tourists no longer take this ride and people of Kolkata too are hardly interested. There are times when we queue up for hours and then get to take one group of people in one day. Ram Navami is better that way,” he said.
These horses are brought from Sonepur in Bihar and their average cost is Rs 40,000. The carriages are brought in from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and some from Gujarat as well and one has to shell out about Rs 3 lakh for each one.
“People are not ready to put in Rs 3.5 lakh anymore in a business which is not only running at a loss but also runs a risk of being ordered to be pulled out like it happened in April 2012 when the court banned these rides,” said Irshad Hossain, a resident of 6/7 MM Ali Road, Kidderpore, in west Kolkata and had been in this trade for the last 30 years. Most of these carriages don’t have a licence under the Kolkata Hackney Carriage Act.
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