What is Amritsar without its iconic Amritsari fish or the ever-popular Amritsari kulcha? Among the city's many culinary treasures, these two stand out.
Both are celebrated not just locally, but across the world. For many residents, spotting "Amritsari fish" on a menu anywhere instantly stirs a sense of nostalgia and pride.
But that sentiment is now tinged with disappointment. Visitors arriving in the holy city, often with Amritsari fish high on their food itinerary, may find themselves let down. The Amritsar Municipal Corporation has sealed the oldest and only wholesale fish market inside Hall Gate, enforcing the government's push to grant a "holy city" character to the walled city.
While the demand for a tobacco-free Amritsar has long resonated with residents, a ban on meat, especially fish, has come as a surprise. "Amritsar is the highest temporal seat of Sikhism, but the community has never demanded a ban on meat or fish within the city," said local resident Raghubir Singh. He added that in its effort to project religious sensitivity, the Aam Aadmi Party government appears to have gone too far.
For decades, the Hall Gate fish market functioned not as a place of consumption, but as a vital supply hub. Before dawn, traders gathered to receive consignments, strike deals and dispatch fresh stock to retailers, dhabas and households across the city. It was a system built on trust and routine, quietly sustaining the fame of Amritsari fish far beyond the narrow lanes where the trade originated.
"With shops sealed, traders will first need to find a new location, make it functional, and only then will supply gradually stabilise," said a worker seated outside a locked shop. He pointed out the irony that the market lies on the periphery of the walled city. "If the same trade shifts just across the wall, it may be legally acceptable, but what really changes? Just a few metres," he remarked.
As shutters come down, an older chapter of missed planning has resurfaced. Near the Vallah Bypass, a purpose-built fish market was once developed to relocate wholesale trade out of the congested old city.
Yet the facility never fully took off. For years, it remained underutilised, lacking the ecosystem and steady footfall that traders
continued on page 2
depended on in the old market. Eventually, it was demolished for a road-widening project.
Now, with stricter enforcement at Hall Gate, fish traders find themselves in a familiar bind - displaced from a thriving hub, but without a viable alternative. Many fear that relocation without proper infrastructure or incentives could disrupt not just livelihoods, but an entire supply chain that has long been integral to the city's identity.