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Standing behind a tray of rice, naan and a heap of baked, red-tinted chicken thighs is a middle-aged woman who has clearly lost her voice.
“Mandi rice, chicken, naan,” she bellows in a raspy tone.
After I order a drumstick and a bottle of mango lassi, I tell Ms Nazaraana Bibi that she should use a loudspeaker – much like a stallholder selling jalebi and samosas a few metres away.
“It’s ok. It’s all for the customers,” she laughs in response.
The 35-year-old, who helmed the Shan’s Kitchen booth, was one of many vendors squeezed into Hall 6 of the Singapore Expo last weekend, where the Zak Salaam Indian Expo 2024 took place.
Now in its 35th edition, the bazaar ran from March 28 to 31, and showcased products ranging from furniture, textiles and jewellery to cooked food and packaged snacks sourced from India.
On the fringes of the fair was also a stage where kids took part in contests and games, all for the viewing pleasure of the large dining area at the back of the hall.
Ms Nazaraana explains that she’s actually a school teacher by profession, but her first-time stint as a stallholder has been an exhilarating one.
“It’s fun doing business. Tiring, but fun,” she says. “I’ve been interacting with customers since morning – young and old, and from all over the world. That’s really been the most fascinating thing for me.
“Some of them, after ordering, will stand and tell me their life story, like why they don’t eat chicken or why they prefer this to that. So it’s been quite hectic, which is good, of course.”
Aside from shopping for the upcoming Eid, patrons at the fair were also treated to a community Iftar (breaking fast) event in the evenings, where biryani and samosas, among other food items, were served.
Event manager Mohamed Rizwan told tabla! that in previous years, the community Iftar took place on a single day, but this year, it spanned two.
“Friday saw around 1,000 participants and Saturday around 2,000. We also had plenty of new shops in this edition,” he said.
Zak Salaam is held here once every three months, and while there are a few returning vendors, patrons are often on the lookout for what’s new.
This year, there are more stalls selling textiles and bridal clothing, says Mr Ambiga Karthikeyan, 46, who attended the fair with her two daughters. She has been going to the bazaar since 2019.
“We’ve got some nice deals today, and I’m happy I bought some wedding apparel because my daughter is getting married in June. I only wish there were more options for men’s clothes, like kurtas, and leather items such as belts and wallets,” she says.
“In the past, there used to be these Kolhapuri camel chappals (slippers) on sale. Have you seen those?” she asks me.
I shake my head in reply.
