Bengaluru: Silk saris fly off shelves before Gowri Ganesha festival

Bengaluru: Ahead of the Gowri Ganesha festival, the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) Mysore Silk sari outlets across Bengaluru witnessed a heavy last-minute shopping rush.

Long queues spilled onto the road in front of the KSIC Mysore Silk showroom in Jayanagar 4th Stage on Saturday. The crowd was largely due to KSIC receiving fresh stock on Saturdays, coinciding with the festival demand.

Shoppers waited patiently for hours, and shops quickly switched to a token system to monitor and regulate the overwhelming crowd. Some people waited for over two hours to grab their choicest saris.

The saris, some with exclusive designs, ranged from ₹20,000 to over ₹2 lakh depending on the design, but sold out immediately, said a shopkeeper. Varmahalakshmi, a shopper, told DH: “I came an hour and a half ago, but the queue is still the same. The best saris must have sold out. We will have to settle for what’s left.” Another shopper, who had come from Davanagere, added: “The Davanagere outlet has a heavier crowd — you can’t even enter the shop there.” Shanti, one of the few lucky shoppers who managed to inch closer to the entrance, quipped: “Getting a silk sari from Mysore Silks isn’t for the weak. You need strong feet!”

Token system

When DH visited the Malleswaram store, safety signs were prominently displayed, limiting entry to five people at a time and prohibiting bags, scarves, and jackets. A clerk said the store sells out by noon every Saturday, despite receiving fresh shipments and opening at 10 am.

At the MG Road outlet, the main stock was sold out, with only basic printed saris on offer. DH also found that one reason for the delays was tightened security measures after high-value saris were stolen from the Jayanagar and Malleswaram showrooms on August 2 and 12, respectively. To manage the crowd and prevent further incidents, the store restricted entry to just 10 people at a time.