The Sharjah Ramadan Festival offers food, fun and shopping
Writing about festivals can get just a bit exhausting. After all, they almost always result in a few kilos gained and a few dirhams spent. And after overcoming popular public peeves such as traffic and parking they're pretty much the same experience.
So what's different about the Sharjah Ramadan Festival? The fact that it's not in Dubai means more traffic and less parking. But then, as one gets on the Dubai-Sharjah highway in the early evening hours, the long-forgotten days of clear roads and pleasant drives are revisited.
Four villages have been set up as part of the festival in two popular areas of the city. The Indian and International villages are along the Buhaira Corniche, while the Iranian and a second International village are located on King Faisal Street.
Each village is a large area with shops, eateries and rides. They're definitely not the most aesthetically appealing in display or arrangement, but it has to be said that as the night slowly sets in, the villages fill up with verve and spirit.
International villages
The two international villages are a bargain-lover's dream come true. The first one located near the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank at the Buhaira Corniche is more representative of the Far East region. The stalls in the Chinese pavilion are identical to their cousins that inhabit the narrow streets and cart shops in Hong Kong and Bangkok markets. Even the haggling experience is identical.
Dried and artificial flowers fill up a good number of the stalls, but it's the clothes and linens that were attracting most visitors.
"I find the quality to be similar to what is available out there. Maybe they're export rejects but there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with them and the prices are too good to be true," said Maryam Javed, a Sharjah resident, who had just bought a couple of frocks for her daughter.
Other attractions were regular features from the region, such as feng shui wind-chimes, laughing Buddhas and even kimonos for kids. As parents enjoyed some financial respite with fresh Thai fruit, their young ones rode a giant panda or Bengal tiger - completing a pretty festival picture.
The international village on King Faisal Street has almost 80 stalls selling mostly clothes, textiles, shoes and other accessories that can typically be found in Dubai's Karama.
Indian Village
Inappropriately titled the Indian village, this enclosure features art, crafts and textiles mostly from the state of Madhya Pradesh. It's not a popular destination choice when compared to its sisters Rajasthan and Kerala, so it might be a worthwhile visit for those curious about it. Textiles occupy a good amount of retail space with silks in the form of loose material and saris cascading down the walls.
The patterns are mostly bagh, which are block prints typical of the Dhar district, made from natural vegetable dyes. Other artefacts are terracotta pottery in different shapes and sizes, small lamps, lac objects and bangles.
The display areas are disappointing especially when taking into account that the quality of merchandise is definitely more up-market. But vendors see the festival more as an exhibition and opportunity to promote Madhya Pradesh as a handicraft and handloom hub.
Stained-glass paintings and oddly shaped pots for plants made for interesting viewing. Among objects of impulsive purchase were glass bangles that were being sold by the dozen, for a reasonable amount after bargaining.
There is a good variety in terms of colour options available for the bangles. Also part of the village were instant crowd-pullers such as a henna counter and rickshaw rides for kids.
Iranian Village
This village is foodie's paradise. Kebab stalls are all over the place and the aroma of Iranian sweets causes a gastronomic thrill as one enters the village. There's not much shopping to be done in the Iranian village, but there are a couple of stalls that sell rugs, carpets and shoes.
After a good wander around the other three villages, this one offers the right ingredients to ending the exploration of the Sharjah Ramadan Festival on a satisfying note.
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