Rent hike dampens festive spirit! Bandra's Mount Mary Fair sees 35-40 empty stalls on Day 1

Bandra's Mount Mary Fair kicked off this Sunday, witnessing the usual influx of people. However, this iconic 300-year-old fair in Mumbai witnessed an unusual sight on its first day. Around 35-40 stalls at the fair lay empty, including some near the steps of the Mount Mary Basilica.

According to traditional stall-owners and Mumbaikars who never miss out on visiting the fair, the empty stalls are the result of the hike in the rental prices. Leading up to the fair, the Archdiocese of Mumbai announced a tenfold hike in the rental prices.

In addition to that, the new method of stall allocation is also being questioned. Earlier, the stalls were rented out at reasonable rates. But now, they are auctioned off via a lottery system after an exhaustive online bidding process. This process has also seemed to have discouraged stall owners who would always set up a stall at this iconic fair.