As the sun set on Friday, a tapering alley in central Kolkata came to life for one last time this year with hundreds of people queuing outside its eateries waiting eagerly for kebabs and haleem as people broke their fast before they celebrate Eid.
Besides the well-known eateries such as Dilli 6, Taskeen, Sufia, and 107-year-old Adam's Kebab Shop, several roadside stalls also come up on Zakaria Street during the holy month of Ramzan, alluring people of all communities from across the city to relish the delicacies they serve.
"It is my first time at Zakaria Street. Though the heat is unbearable and the place is crowded, everything was worth it because of the food they serve," said Kausum Lahiri after having Dilli 6's signature Afghani Chicken and Rumali Roti along with two of his friends.
Among the other most sought-after items here is Suta Kebab at Adam's Kebab Shop, Dahi and Malai Kebab at Dilshad Laziz Kabab, and Battisi Halwa (made of 32 items) at Haji Allauddin Sweets.
"Coming to Zakaria Street for iftar is an annual tradition. Ramzan is incomplete without coming here. It is part of Kolkata's culture and heritage," said Supriti Raheman as she tasted locally-made cookies before buying a bagful.
"However, the taste is not the same anymore. As more and more people come here learning about it on social media, the quality is dwindling. The shops are not able to serve the same taste to the huge number of people. Also, prices have increased to a great extent," she added.
Though the shops selling non-vegetarian items were the top draw, carts selling freshly-cut fruits at every nook and corner of the lane cannot be missed. From watermelons and cucumbers to apples and papayas, fruits that have high water content are most popular for iftar as they help hydrate the body after 'Roza' (fasting from dawn to dusk during the entire Ramzan month).
Stalls selling fruit juices and sherbets were competing with the eateries selling kebabs as people crowded them to quench their thirst with the sweltering heat scorching the city.
Sugarcane, watermelon, and 'bel' (wood apple) were among the most popular ones, but the stalls selling Rooh Afza, the traditional drink during iftar, were also thronged by people.
"Though people come here for the kebabs, the 'halwa-puri' on Zakaria Street is quite something, and it is available only during Ramzan," said Arnab Mukherjee, an IT professional who has been coming here since his college days.
The halwa is made of sooji as usual, but the puri here is too large to be finished in one go by a single person. Besides, some eateries also serve 'shahi tukda', 'Firni', and Falooda'. The Falooda at Taskeen is the most sought-after.
Some shopkeepers rued that constant knocks from vloggers were affecting their businesses and also disappointing customers.
"Videos on social media have indeed helped our food reach far and wide, but the constant request for photos and videos have caused a lot of problems this year. Everyone has a camera these days, and they want to make films, but the shooting spree at busy hours has caused problems," said a shopkeeper who has been selling baked items such as 'Bakar Khani', 'Sheermal' and 'Sewai' near Nakhoda Masjid during Ramzan for 30 years now.
Another shopkeeper said that food vloggers were raising the expectations of the people, and when they come here and do not get what they heard online, they get disappointed.
Some of the eateries this year have started accepting online payments as a shopkeeper selling fritters -- 'Alur' chop, 'Peyaji' and Tomator chop -- said, "We have to keep up with time."