Deepavali frenzy lights up shops and streets, few takers for firecrackers

From decorative items and diyas to clothes and candies, Hyderabad residents are on a shopping spree ahead of the festival of lights; perennial parking problems lead to traffic chaos 

Days to go before the big festival of Deepavali, the streets of Hyderabad are abuzz with shoppers. If the jewellery street of Somajiguda is filled with cars blocking traffic, Begum Bazaar, Ameerpet, Gulzar Houz, and other areas of the city are filled with shoppers making festive purchases.

And it is not firecrackers that the shoppers are splurging on. The warehouse of one of the biggest retail sellers of firecrackers is now piled high with bags of garlic and ginger near M.J. Market.

Among the items for sale are perfectly shaped diyas (clay lamps). “These are moulded and not hand-made. That’s why they are perfect and don’t soak oil when lit,” says Anil, who brought them from Vijayawada and is hawking them on the street near Goshamahal at dozen for ₹60. Among the diyas is one which is shaped like palms joined in prayer.

“The days of chocolates as Deepavali gifts are over. It is back to sweets and dry fruits this year,” says a wholesale trader of dry fruits near Begum Bazaar Chatri. The shops in the bylane are bursting with bags of dry fruits ranging from boxes of pistachio and walnuts to transparent bags filled with cashew nuts. “Most of our buyers are from the districts or from far-off places in the city. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people were asked to have dry fruits and our sales have gone up since,” says the wholesale dealer.

Among the shoppers was Charan Singh who drove down from Bahadurpura to buy what is called bhandoli. “These are used as centrepieces of decoration on Deepavali night at our home. They are filled with candies which are later distributed,” he informs about the colourfully decorated small claypots that are piled one on top of the others.

Elsewhere, Prince Sahu is hawking the sweetmeats that form part of this sweet decoration. “Some people buy these string candied toys while others use them for decoration before eating them,” he says as he explains the range of candies that include coloured toys to a thin sheet of transparent candy called ‘chapda’.

Then there is a shop that specialises in miniaturel dresses and sarees that will be used to dress up Goddess Lakshmi on the festival night. A dress with faux jewellery costs ₹270 (without bargain).