Shopping to their heart's content

Deepavali is around the corner and shopping is on in full swing for
Bangaloreans, who are exploring every nook and corner of the City to get hold of the best.

Besides sprucing up houses, arranging diyas, doing puja and preparing a whole host of delicacies, the festival of lights, which brings together communities, is marked by shopping for oneself as well as for near and dear ones. While some have already completed shopping for the festival, others are waiting for the weekend to head out to the malls and markets.

Vijayalakshmi M Gudur, whose wedding is scheduled soon after Deepavali, says that the festival is going to be a grand affair. “This time, a lot of my shopping is going to be online.

Since time is a constraint for me, placing my orders online will cut down on travel and will also be economical,” she says, adding, “I am looking at decorative items like diyas and gifts for friends on popular portals. I’ve been going through some of these portals and have found that the deals are good.” She adds, “I’m heading to different places to complete my shopping. While Commercial Street has a good collection of clothes, Malleswaram is where puja items are available in plenty at reasonable rates.”

Keerthi Varma, who goes to Avenue Road to pick up items for the festival, says that it’s that time of the year during which the family makes investments. “We’re almost through with our shopping, which has included a number of purchases including gold jewellery. In the coming days, we will be buying crackers for at least Rs 4,000,” says the
22-year-old.

College students are exploring street-shopping to mix and match their wear. “Sometimes, the best stuff is available in street corners, which is where I’m going to be buying accessories,” says Rhynee V, a student of SJR College. 

But what’s in vogue this season? Designers point out that the favourites are anarkalis and animal prints. “Anarkalis have been popular for a while now and it’s the same even this year. Masabha or natural prints, crochet and lace are also in. We’re also seeing that shoppers are keen to get the same designs as celebrities,” says Shalini Khilnani, who runs Shalini’s Boutique on Lavelle Road, pointing to a Manish Malhotra designed sari for Kareena Kapoor.

While animal prints are a rage in fabrics, it’s as big in jewellery as well. “Whether in rings or necklaces, the animal patterns are preferred. But what’s really trending this season are the geometric patterns,” says jewellery designer Radhika. Although the year hasn’t been as bright as it should have been for jewellers, they are hoping that the upcoming Dhanteras will change the trend. “Since Dhanteras is an auspicious day to buy gold, we are sure that we will have better sales than during other festivals. But from what I’ve seen, the sales are not as steep as they were last year,” explains Santosh Raju, who runs Kantilal Raju Jewellers on Avenue Road.