Shopping for Christmas trees and cribs has always been easy for Kochiites. Thanks to Broadway! The one stop shopping space that makes sure all your needs is catered to. This year too, Broadway shops are decked up with shiny colourful stars, cribs, and Christmas goodies. This year’s attraction is the colourful lights which decorate your cribs. Red, yellow, blue, pink, you name it, they have the colours!

Don’t even think of taking your cars to this side! Broadway is crowded with street vendors and customers. People come from various parts of the city to buy the goods which are available at cheap rates. Market Road, located right next to Broadway also offers you so many varieties to choose from. All you need is time, a few bucks and the patience to roam around and see the place.

Decorations for Christmas trees are available in plenty in the market. This year, there are umpteen additions to the style of hangings which can be put up on your Christmas trees. A treat for kids! Parents can be happy that goodies are all available at good rates.

So haven’t you done your Christmas shopping yet? Broadway shops are ready there to welcome you with open-arms. Hurry!!!

It’s Onam. The season of colors and festivities are here. Celebration beckons you. With Ramzan around the corner, Kochiites seems to be all set to rejoice in the days to come. Merriment and celebrations are not complete without doing a round of shopping. No one wants to wear already worn attire on a festival day. Kochiites are spending their weekends and weekday evenings shopping with family to get lovely clothes and accessories to wear during the forthcoming celebration month. The sea of shops in hotspots like M. G. Road and Broadway, Oberon Mall and all other malls in and around the city, Edapally and Aluva (to name a few), have geared up their sales too.

All those who have been traveling around the city on weekends would have had their share of traumatizing, patience-testing traffic playing the villain in between your shopping thrills. Reaching destination 1 to destination 2 is not easier anymore, but rather time consuming. Yes, we have cops here and there. But traffic mayhem finds no respite.

But wait. You can always do ‘walking around the city’, which eases your traffic chaos tensions, helps you reach faster, and of course saves a reasonable amount of money. (We are not talking about walking from Oberon Mall to M. G Road ). Taking busses can also help ease the traffic scene in Kochi.

So much to get, and so little time! Kochiites, shops are beckoning you from every nook and corner of Kochi. Exhibitions and sales have reached our city. With festivals around the corner, this is the perfect time to get hold of good stuff. Shop till you drop!!

Ministry of Urban Development has approved “Broadway & Ernakulam Market Heritage Urban Renewal Project” for Kochi in Kerala under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) for sanctioning of projects under Sub Mission I of UIG under (JNNURM) has approved this new project for Kochi in its 82nd meeting held under the chairmanship of the Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development.

The aim of the project is to create integrated pedestrian zone which will bind heritage zone and shopping activities into a well connected urban heritage precinct and will improve traffic and parking management in the area. It will retain heritage importance of the place while improve pedestrian related infrastructure and shopping related facilities. Revenue generation from the area will also improve as a result of environment improvement through betterment charges and other rentals. As a whole it will improve heritage and urban image ability of Kochi Heritage Zone 3 to make it a more popular shopping and safe pedestrian environment.

The project will be implemented by Kochi Municipal Corporation and will take a period of 24 months for completion.

Broadway, the shopping hub of the city, will become a showcase of Kochi heritage if a project for restoring its past glory is cleared. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) authorities will consider the Broadway heritage conservation project submitted by the civic authorities soon. The heritage experts, under the auspices of the Centre for Heritage Environment and Development and the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project, have submitted a Rs. 30-crore-project for the conservation efforts of the Broadway. Though the Mission authorities had in principle approved the projects earlier, they sought clarifications and additional details regarding the project.

The project also needs to be cleared by the central steering and monitoring committee of the Mission. The committee will meet on January 11, and the Broadway project is expected to come up before it.

Changes : There will not be any additional constructions at the Broadway. Instead, the dilapidated structures will be rebuilt according to the original structure. Uniformity in architecture including the facade will be ensured and a common colour code will be introduced to the buildings in the area so as to highlight the grandeur of the heritage area. Installation of heritage road furniture, public amenities like telephone booths, drinking water points, street lighting, beautification of the Ernakulam market and preservation of the nearby water bodies will also be undertaken as part of the project.

Support from locals :The civic authorities hope to get the support of the trading community and the organisations of the traders in implementing the project. A few rounds of discussions were also held with the representatives of the organisations of the traders and business community to ensure their participation in the project.

Side Effects : Once the project is implemented, vehicular movement along broadway would be restricted. The trucks and lorries bringing merchandise will be permitted to enter the area only during the night hours.The option of allowing cycles along the broadway is also being considered by the authorities. The vehicles bringing people to the area will be directed to parking lots and the shoppers can either move on cycles or take a walk along the road.

How long will the project take to complete it take if commissioned ? : The project will not need much time to take off, as no land acquisition is required for it. The Mission would release its share of Rs. 15 crore—half of the project cost— once the project is cleared. The State government and the Kochi corporation will have to raise its share for implementing the project.