On the prized stretch between Polo View and Bishember Nagar—a gateway to Srinagar’s historic downtown—stands a structure that embodies the tragic gap between aspiration and reality. The Sangarmal Shopping Complex, inaugurated in 2010 amid glittering promises of becoming Kashmir’s first world-class cultural and commercial hub, now stands as a locked, underlit monument to failure.
Designed as a sleek fusion of glass, steel, and traditional Kashmiri khatamband woodwork, it was meant to redefine urban life with escalators, a multiplex, craft bazaars, and international brands like KFC lining its corridors. Fifteen years later, it is neither cultural nor commercial.
Locals dismiss it with a bitter punchline: “Sangarmaal hasa chu failure” (Sangarmaal is a failure). Once a beacon of hope, it has devolved into a subject of ghost stories and communal disillusionment. The complex’s demise stems from a toxic confluence of planning failures, financial mismanagement, sensory indifference, and cultural alienation.
The Grand Vision vs. Harsh Reality
Conceived in 2002 and resurrected in the late 2000s, Sangarmal was a Rs. 17–18.5 crore project spread across 700,000 sq. ft. Its master plan promised a “Select Citywalk” (Delhi)-style experience: six modules with cinemas, food courts, an art gallery, and an amusement park.
Architects touted features like musical fountains, 24-hour power backups, and Kashmir’s first escalators. The initial bidding saw frenzied investment, with shops auctioned at Rs 21,000–25,000/sq. ft.—unprecedented in the region. A restaurant space fetched Rs 3 crore, symbolizing sky-high expectations. Yet, as one shopkeeper lamented, “They promised an Audi but handed us a Maruti 800”.
Why Sangarmal Failed: A Multifaceted Collapse
- Incomplete Infrastructure and Bureaucratic Rot: The complex opened prematurely in 2010 amid political pressure, with only Phase 1 (Module A) functional. Critical elements—the multiplex, 70% of planned modules, and the main entrance from M.A. Road—were never built. Land disputes left the complex accessible only through back alleys, crippling foot traffic. Escalators malfunctioned during the inauguration, trapping a minister in an elevator—an ironic symbol of breakdown. By 2023, tiles were crumbling, fountains stood dry, and algae festered in stagnant water.
- Financial Mismanagement and Elite Capture: Of 125 allottees, 79 defaulted on Rs 2.83 crore in rent and Rs 15.49 crore in premiums, starving SDA of funds for further development. An RTI inquiry exposed that most occupants operated without lease agreements, benefiting from political nepotism. As one report noted, shops were allotted to “blue-eyed” individuals, not merit-based entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, SDA spent Rs 2.38 lakh/month on maintenance but collected only Rs 1 lakh in rent—a model as unsustainable as it was corrupt.
- Sensory and Architectural Alienation: Despite its aesthetic facade, Sangarmal neglected multisensory engagement. The removal of fountains for “public movement” stripped it of auditory life, while poor lighting and ventilation created a sterile, unwelcoming atmosphere. As scholars note, architecture prioritizing only sight—while ignoring sound, touch, and smell—fosters detachment. The complex’s glass-and-steel modernity clashed with Kashmir’s traditional architectural language, making it feel imported rather than rooted.
The “Ghost Mall” Myth and Cultural Rejection
As shops shuttered (only eight remained open by 2023), Sangarmal became a canvas for urban legends. Stories of ‘jinns’ (spirits) haunting its empty corridors proliferated, reflecting collective trauma. These myths were coping mechanisms for a community betrayed by institutions. With under 5% of Srinagar’s shoppers visiting, the complex embodied a broader failure: a space designed ‘for’ tourists and elites, but not ‘with’ Kashmiris.
Broader Lessons: The Cost of Forgetting People
Sangarmal’s failure is a case study in how ‘not’ to execute urban development:
- Top-Down Planning: Excluding local traders from decision-making led to impractical spaces. Shop owners begged for a joint SDA-trader committee to address issues like sanitation and security, but bureaucratic apathy killed the initiative.
- Economic Insularity: Restricting shops to state subjects failed when rents and premiums were prohibitively high. Post-2019 internet blackouts and COVID-19 exacerbated losses, yet SDA offered no relief.
- Eroded Trust: over the years, the complex became a physical metaphor for hollow propaganda—a “sarkari bulletin” in concrete.
Ruins or Rebirth?
Today, Sangarmal stands at a crossroads. Proposals to reinvent it as a mixed-use space—with play areas for children, affordable food courts, and craft markets—hint at redemption. Yet, without confronting its legacy of corruption and community exclusion, such dreams risk repeating past failures.
As Srinagar residents traverse the Polo View-Bishember Nagar road, Sangarmal remains a spectral reminder: cities thrive not through steel and glass alone, but through spaces that honor their people’s senses, stories, and spirit. Until then, its escalators lead nowhere, its fountains stay silent, and its ghosts linger as witnesses to dreams unfulfilled.
(Author besides being a medical doctor at Mubarak Hospital is very active in positive perception management of various moral, social and religious issues. He can be reached at: [email protected] & twitter @drfiazfazili)
