Himalayan Dream Treks: starting details

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{{Short description|Shopping street in Kerala, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox street
| name = Broadway, Ernakulam
| image = Broadway during lockdown.jpg
| former_names =
| length_km = 2.0
| width =
| location = [[Ernakulam]], [[Kochi]], [[Kerala]], India
| coordinates =
| direction_a =
| terminus_a = Basin Road
| direction_b =
| terminus_b = Chamber Road
| junction =
}}

'''Broadway Ernakulam''' is a shopping street situated at [[Kochi]] in [[Kerala]] state, [[India]]. It is one of the oldest shopping areas in the city. Most wholesale dealers in the city of kochi have their base of operations here, therefore broadway street is popular among local retailers and regular customers.

==History==
Broadway was the only shopping street in [[Ernakulam]] during early 20th century. Initially the shopping street was located at [[Mattancherry]]. When the British took over Cochin from the Dutch, the market moved out of Mattancherry to [[Kochi]], which had everything from safety pins to clothes and hardware on offer. Broadway had set of coveted tailors right from the start of 20th century. Prominent among those were J. Newfield and Company, which made the best three-piece suits at the time, Koya Hassan and the Bharatha Tailoring Company, which was famous for the uniforms it made for the State chauffeurs. The White Hall Silk Palace, set up in the 1920s by a Muslim trader from Palakkad, was a textile hotspot. Valavi and Company is a shop which started in 1899 on broadway street. They did business in paper, tyres and liquor imported from Europe.<ref>{{cite news |title=Business as usual on Broadway|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/business-as-usual-on-broadway/article4123195.ece|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref>

==Shopping Street==
[[File:ChristmasStarShopsAlley.jpg|thumb|A street of Christmas star shops]]
Broadway Shopping street covers an area of two kilometer radius road which is sandwiched between [[Marine Drive, Kochi]] and [[Mahatma Gandhi Road (Kochi)|MG Road]]. Quite ironically given its name, the area is characterized by narrow roads. The market canal passes through Broadway and Market Road. The shopping street is a car-free pedestrian zone. Broadway adjoins Ernakulam Market where there are many wholesale shops as well.

==Shops==
At Broadway, one can find almost everything - ranging from old copper pots (ready to smelt) to latest fashion in clothing and jewellery, [[books]], [[perfumes]], [[spices]].<ref>{{cite news |title=A Smell of Kochi |url=http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/mapping-the-city-of-kochi-on-its-smells/article18377444.ece |newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref> One can even find one of the best furniture shops in town run by a [[Cochin Jews|Cochin Jew]]. Broadway has many roadside shops selling electronic goods, leather items, stationery, watches, jewelry and umbrellas. The Spice market of Kochi at Broadway street is a wholesale market where one can buy good quality spices and condiments.<ref>{{cite news |title=Spicing up Broadway|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/spicing-up-broadway/article4860273.ece|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref>

==Footfalls==
There are around 1,000 shops functioning in the two-km radius of Broadway. It is estimated that the market sees a footfall of minimum 5,000 people on holidays but the numbers would touch 20,000 on working days.<ref>{{cite news |title=Broadway to get facelift, shops to be open till 11pm |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Broadway-to-get-facelift-shops-to-be-open-till-11pm/articleshow/55549363.cms|newspaper=The Times of India}}</ref> In 2016, sales at the Broadway market averaged 5 crore per month as per Broadway Shop Owners Association.<ref>{{cite news |title=De-mon devours business on Broadway despite Vishu, Easte|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2017/apr/13/de-mon-devours-business-on-broadway-despite-vishu-easter-1593023--1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210015758/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2017/apr/13/de-mon-devours-business-on-broadway-despite-vishu-easter-1593023--1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 December 2017}}</ref>

===Peak Shopping Seasons===
The peak shopping season at Broadway Kochi is during festivals of [[Vishu]], [[Onam]] and [[Christmas]].

==Broadway Renovation Project==
In 2009, Centre for Heritage Environment and Development and the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project, had submitted a Rs. 30-crore-project for the conservation efforts of the Broadway.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rs. 30-crore Broadway renovation project planned |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/Rs.-30-crore-Broadway-renovation-project-planned/article16465296.ece |newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref> Though the project was submitted in the first phase of JNNURM, it failed to take off due to cost escalation and flaws in the DPR.
In 2013, a revised detailed project report (DPR) was submitted for funding under the JNNURM transition funding period. The estimated cost for the project was Rs. 25 cr<ref>{{cite news |title=Broadway plan gets a leg-up|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/131114/news-current-affairs/article/broadway-plan-gets-leg|newspaper=Deccan Chronicle}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Economy of Kochi]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Kochi]]
[[Category:Shopping districts and streets in India]]
[[Category:Roads in Kochi]]

Broadway, Kochi - Revision history

Himalayan Dream Treks: starting details