Commercial Street comes alive with lights and last-minute Deepavali shoppers on Monday.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: Excited shoppers have formed long queues in Chickpet, Avenue Road and Kumbarpet as the city's oldest commercial hubs buzz with Deepavali frenzy.
A business tradition draws crowds to Kumbarpet, where a massive queue had formed outside a stationery store. "The queue is for the new accounts books," explained a shopkeeper. "As per tradition, many shopkeepers start new ledgers, or 'khata books', during Deepavali for good fortune."
Hundreds are also thronging to buy clothes, decorative lamps, and traditional deepas. Shoppers expressed eagerness to find the latest trends. "I am looking for sustainable clay deepas and silk blend kurtas," said Kavita, a shopper near Avenue Road. "The variety here is unmatched."
The narrow Avenue Road, famous for its stationery and gold shops, is particularly congested. "Business is fantastic, perhaps better than last year," said Raghunath, a brassware seller in Kumbarpet. “People are opting for traditional copper and brass urlis and deepas. They’ve realised the quality and price they get here can’t be matched online.”
KR Market is overflowing with flowers, dry fruits, agarbattis, banana stems and mango leaves as shoppers prepare for the traditional 'abhyanga snana' and 'naraka chaturdashi' festivities marking the three-day Deepavali festival.
Shopkeepers, while swamped, are enjoying the high footfall. "It is proof that nothing can replace the experience of touching the cloth or the smell of fresh flowers and the whole market experience during festivities," said Mohammed Khan, a Chickpet cloth merchant.
Garbage dump shadows Avenue Road
A garbage mound on Avenue Road is frustrating shopkeepers during peak season.
"This is our peak season of sales. This (garbage) has severely affected business," lamented a textile store owner.
Garbage was dumped just Sunday morning, shopkeepers said. A corporation auto was seen dumping fresh waste onto the already overflowing pile. "I have informed the corporation authorities and asked them to clear it immediately, but till now, no action has been taken," the shopkeeper stated.
Local traders are urging immediate intervention to rescue their business before the festival concludes.