Civic works, crowd curbs dampen Ramadan rush in Bengaluru's Fraser Town

Civic works along MM Road and Mosque Road have deterred vendors, while residents have opposed crowding and litter from food stalls. Locals said stall numbers fell 20% between 2025 and 2026.

Bengaluru: Known for its vibrant Ramadan stalls and melas, Fraser Town now stands subdued, with a handful of stalls lining the main road this festive season.

Civic works along MM Road and Mosque Road have deterred vendors, while residents have opposed crowding and litter from food stalls. Locals said stall numbers fell 20 per cent between 2025 and 2026.

Civic works in the neighbourhood, which include white-topping, and footpath and underground utility upgrades, began more than a year ago.

"The contractor haphazardly finished the work about 10 days ago,” said Shoaib, a restaurant owner, adding that debris has taken up the whole of his parking space.

“They laid the stones in a hurry to cover the visible ditches where underground works were going on, as it was a safety hazard. They have not returned to finish the footpath work. They have dumped cobblestones and other materials along footpaths and on the road,” he added.

Other business owners echoed Shoaib’s concerns.

An official from Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-SMILE), in-charge of the project, said white-topping on MM Road is done and only the footpath work is pending. “It should be done in the next 15-20 days. We are working on multiple civic works in the neighbourhood and new projects are getting approval,” the official added.

Drop in footfall

The neighbourhood has recorded a sharp drop in footfall during Ramadan between 2024 and 2026. While weekends draw decent crowds, weekdays no longer witness the ‘Ramadan rush’, business owners said.

“Weekdays are like any other days. The crowd starts to gather only during the weekends,” said Mohammed Shabuddin, a restaurant owner. “We are yet to see the same number of sales as in 2024.”

Right now, restaurants already operating on MM Road and Mosque Road are permitted to set up stalls outside their premises.

Saud Dastagir, founder member, Residents for Greater Fraser Town, said people were keen to restrict roadside stalls to those already operating, as that was the only way to control the crowd.

“Things got so much out of hand that we could not step out of our homes during Ramadan due to the crowd and smoke,” Dastagir said. “Thankfully, our MLA AC Srinivasa and the police stood by us and denied permission for outsiders to set up stalls here.”

The civic works in the neighbourhood which include white-topping and footpath and underground utility upgrades began over a year ago.