Most people refer to it as Chor Bazaar while authorities consider it to be an illegal one; most likely, you will be regaled by stories about how a pair of love birds bought from the bazaar lost all their colours aft er being given a bath. Yet every Sunday morning the century-old pet bazaar at Galiff Street is thronged by pet-lovers and those with green fi ngers simply because of the cheap bargains off ered. And if you have a connoisseur's eyes then you may be able to pick and choose the very best. And if you are novice, you may pick up somebody with not the right pedigree but adorable enough. 

 The Bazaar
 Th e market is located few metres away from Shyambazar-5-point crossing. As you move towards BT Road from the crossing, the pet bazaar will be inside the fi rst left turn on Galiff Street just before the Barrackpore Bridge. Situated in a dingy lane, the market is scattered over a large stretch. Easily, the biggest pet bazaar in the city, the market brings together a variety of animals- pups, rabbits, guinea pigs, varieties of mice, birds, fi shes and a vast range of fl owering and decorative plants as well. As you enter Galiff Street, on the fi rst left and right fl anks you will be greeted by a variety of colourful birds of various sizes and at the lowest possible prices. Gradually as you move in, you will catch sight of diff erent breeds of pups on your right side. On both sides of the lane you will fi nd vendors busy selling rabbits, guinea pigs and white mice followed by a mixed bag of fi shes and an assortment of fl owers and garden plants. Both sides of the lane are thronged by vendors busy selling a pair of parakeets, sparrows, guinea pigs and sometimes even indulge in illegal trading of certain species of birds. Apart from this, the market also off ers you a chance to buy various accessories for your pet such as bird cages, aquariums, seeds, pesticides and manure. Th e market is open only on Sundays when traffi c is restricted on the stretch. It starts at around 7am in the morning and continues till 3pm in the aft ernoon. Th e best time to visit the market is early in the morning to get a good deal which would otherwise be impossible once sale peaks up between 11am and 2pm. “We want to set up the market on other days as well but the government is not ready to give its consent. On Sundays, traffi c movement on this road remains close for this haat except for trams”, said a bird seller. Beware of pick pockets or you may end up losing your mobile phone or your wallet in the unruly crowd. Although an illegal market, it is expanding at its own pace. When asked a vendor who did not want to be named said: “People call it an illegal market but still they come here on Sundays to buy a pup, a pair of love birds, rabbits and so on. Th e popularity of the market has kept it rolling and the government too does not pose any threat to us.

History 
Th e market is said to have been established in the British era, hence one can only guess how old it is. "Earlier the haat used to be held at Hatibagan but because of space constraint and choked traffi c it was shift ed to Galiff Street,” said AR Ali, who followed his family tradition of doing business in this market. “It was during the tenure of Jyoti Basu, that the market shift ed to Galiff Street”, added Ali. "Th is is the oldest animal market in West Bengal and India. Most of the animal and plant sellers have been doing business here for years," said Amar Chakraborty, who sells pups especially German Spitz. However, sellers are not aware of the exact year when the market was started. It had simply sprung up and continued for generations because of its unique products and popularity.

Market economics 
Business is simply booming. With around 300 sellers in the market selling diff erent breeds of dogs, birds, fi shes, plants and other animals, the market is a paradise for pet lovers in the city. However, there is a risk factor involved for customers seeking to
buy pets at half the usual price. According to Smita Bagchi, a buyer, “Oft en termed as Chor Bazaar, the sellers apparently get the pets by various illegal means and hence there is no guarantee on the pup one buys from here. One has to be very careful while buying from this bazaar, else you are sure to return home feeling cheated.” When asked about the pedigree of a pup, Suman Ghosh, a pup seller replied, “you can always see and understand if a dog is healthy or not (while holding up the two Labrador pups - one looked moderately healthy and the other quite fragile.) Showing off his stock of Spitz, Alsatian, Doberman, Dalmation, Golden Retriever and Pug, Ghosh said: "Over 2,500 people visit this market every Sunday morning to get the best buy at lowest price.” Asked about the reason for low prices, Ghosh said: "We get our stock from outskirts of the city. Th us, we charge very less for a pair of pups or exotic birds. We even breed dogs on our own and so we can sell it at an aff ordable price to our customers. A customer can also sell pups to us once their dog has undergone breeding.” The vendors are constantly on their toes showcasing their products to interested customers. Buying is done in cash. Th ere is no guarantee on products bought from this market. So customers have to be quite careful about whatever they buy.

Business
Business is at its peak all round the year. According to Dipen Nandan who deals with various breeds of pups and dogs, “Th e popularity of our market increases every day and hence our sale increases too. We keep very less stocks here but if a customer wants to see a variety of breeds, he can even visit my house to get the best deal.” While some agreed to his viewpoint others felt that the market was more profi table when it was in Hatibagan.

Dogs
When you visit the dog section, you will fi nd diff erent breeds of pups kept inside a cage. At times the seller would bring out one or two pups and hold them up to display to the customers. “If you want to get a cross breed, do visit my kennel”, said Biren Das, busy bargaining with a buyer. When asked about the documents certifying the pedigree of the pup, he told that the papers would be supplied but with an additional charge of `1500. Other vendors said that they will not be able to provide any such documents. Th ough the price list is given by sellers, you would need to bargain quite a bit if you want to buy a pup and the price will be reduced to just half. Tips before buying a pup: Ensure that the under-eyes and the gums of the pup are not white (which indicate the pup is anaemic). Do not take a pup you fi nd lying at one corner of the cage or looks weak or sick. Always check the nose of the pup if it’s wet, do not buy if the nose is dry or a pup has a weak limb. Pup accessories like their food bowl, leash, balls and others are also available at a much cheaper price. Dog leashes starts from `40, while their food bowl ranges from `80 to `200
Birds - Rat - Guinea Pig – Rabbit

Fish
Continue to look around and the riot of colours will tell you are in the fi sh section. Large plastic tumblers contain the colourful species set off brilliantly in beds of yellow sand, coloured pebbles and greens. Gold fi sh, Black Molly, Highfi n Variegated Platy and Angel fi sh are the most popular buys here. Here, you can also buy an aquarium with other interior accessories ranging from `300 to `500.
You will fi nd yourself jostling for space in the busy bird section of the market where cages with Lovebirds, Cockatiel, pigeons, Java (sparrows) fi nches and budgerigars can be found on both sides of the street. Aft er bargaining, one can pick up a pair of Love birds for `500, budgerigars for `100, Java for `500, or a pigeon for a mere `30. If you are lucky enough, you may also return home with a swan for `500 and ducklings for `30 each!
When asked about talking parrots, a bird-seller said: “Under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, indigenous birds like parrots are banned from sale.” A big board has been put up conveying the same but if you walk on, you will fi nd a pair of talking parakeets, discreetly stuff ed inside cages. Apart from birds, the cages are also available ranging from `100 to `1000 which again one has to bargain to get it at a lower price