People shop with enthusiasm on Deepavali eve
The Hindu
People from Madurai thronged bazaars for last-day Deepavali shopping, despite rain. Streets filled with hawkers selling utensils, clothes, household items, etc. Shopping a ritual for many, while others enjoy the crowd & chaos. Nostalgic for some, while others enjoy family time & revisiting childhood places. Eateries filled with sweets & snacks, children pestering parents for toys.
People from various parts of the district thronged the bazaar areas in the Madurai city to complete their last-day shopping before Deepavali on Saturday.
Around five to six streets surrounding the Vilakkuthoon were filled with heads rushing in all directions to buy things that were on display on the streets.
Despite the downpour of rain for about an hour around noon, people continued shopping enthusiastically. Most of the roads in the bazaar area were filled with roadside hawkers selling products like utensils, brooms, floor mats, clothes, household and fancy items, etc.
The last-day shopping before Deepavali has become a ritual for people, vendors said.
Though many shoppers opted for the eleventh hour before the festival due to the nature of their jobs, many wilfully prefer the last day shopping to enjoy the crowd and the chaos that engulf the area, police personnel on duty said.
S. Manikavel, who is a resident of Madurai, said that many people who have fond memories of shopping in the bazaar before the festival would have migrated to different cities for their jobs.
“Mostly such people would visit their hometown when the festival nears, that is one of the reasons why the bazaar streets like South Masi Street and East Masi Street are crowded the day before Deepavali,” he added.
Prarthana Prasad is a social media influencer, entrepreneur and a leading voice from the LGBTQ+ community. At a recent Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Conclave held in Bengaluru she opened up about how she is often a “token ticket” for the corporate world, increasingly contacted by brands for promotion during Pride Month.