Walking around Pettah 

By Jamila Najmuddin 

We make our way through the busy  streets in the hot, blazing sun. With street vendors competing with each other by screaming in their highest possible voices to attract attention, we look around in amazement at this part of the city which is almost always crowded day and night.

Known as an 'ancient wholesale and retail business centre,' Colombo's bazaar district, the Pettah, presents a real treat for shop holics who can wander through the hustle and bustle of whole streets dedicated to selling a particular type of merchandise, from local handicrafts to designer label clothing.

Today tea boutiques to lottery sellers, retail shops to large companies, dominate the area which was once an exclusive residential area filled with stately homes and large gardens.

Trade link

Mispronounced by the Europeans of the Sinhalese name Pita Kotuwa, today, Pettah is firmly established as Colombo's trade link with the rest of South Asia and the Far East.

In the narrow muddy lane that I stand, named Prince Street, I am surrounded by various street vendors selling mobile phones, shoes and fruits along with other retail shops and companies.

The street is noisy and crowded and as we try to make our way through the crowd to a retail shop selling jewellery, I avoid being knocked down by a handcart packed with various goods.

A young man approaches me with an apologetic face. This 22 year old coolie, M. Ismail, has been working in these lanes ever since he was a child.

"I sleep on these streets in the night. It is my home. I have been living in these narrow lanes ever since I was a child. My father used to earn a living by transporting goods on a hand cart from one shop to another. Ever since I was 15 years old, I started this 'little business' as well," Ismail said.

"Although I earn very little, I am happy this way as this is what I have been doing since I was small. The Pita Kotuwa is different from the rest of the city and business here is good. These narrow lanes are always crowded from morning to night and this is the only place that various items such as toys, fruits, jewellery, furniture, paper and vegetables are sold in one place," Ismail added.

Business satisfactory

As we talk to Ismail we are soon surrounded by a number of people. We approach A. Upul, a vendor selling mangoes and oranges.

"I have been doing business in these lanes for more than five years. I get my stock of vegetables and fruits from the Manning Market. Business is not bad in these lanes because at the end of the day I am able to take home atleast Rs. 200 to feed my family. These lanes are always crowded with people and I enjoy working here due to this reason. Pita Kotuwa is the main hub to do business and everyone from the poorest man to the richest businessman does business in these streets," Upul said.

For H. Wickremabahu, a retailer selling hardware in the busy Old Moor Street, his family has been doing business in these streets for the past 30 years.

Second home

"I remember coming to this shop with my grandfather and father when I was little. This is like my second home and although business has not been so good after the April 2 elections, I like doing business here. These lanes are always lively as many people travel here each day from various parts of the island to do business. From small scale vendors to the biggest companies, all these people work in these same narrow streets and this area is definitely a 'world of its own,'" Wickremabahu said.

Dutch Museum

Amongst the several boutiques and stores owned by Muslim traders down Prince Street is the Dutch Museum. Built in the latter part of the 17th Century, the museum was initially the residence of Count August Carl Van Ranzow. The restoration of this building commenced in 1977 and was completed in 1981.

This building embodies the unique architectural features of a colonial Dutch town house. While displaying the Dutch legacy with its varied artifacts, the museum also displays furniture, coins, ceramics and arms used during the Dutch period. The museum was opened to the public in 1982.

As we leave these lanes, we gaze back to see a stretch of the tall shiny corporate offices, retail shops, screaming vendors and their makeshift huts, and indeed a unique museum and definitely agree with Wickramabahu that Pettah indeed is a world of its own.