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Chennai, Oct 19 (IANS) On the eve of Diwali, festive cheer is on the rise across Chennai as residents thronged textile and sweet shops despite incessant rain since Sunday morning.
For many, the festival is reminiscent of new clothes, fireworks and sweets – and the city markets are buzzing with last-minute shoppers who are determined not to let the rain dampen their festive spirits.
Since morning, shoppers carrying umbrellas gathered at popular commercial centers like T. Nagar, Washermanpet, Purasawalkam and Socarpet.
T. Nagar, in particular, turned into a sea of moving umbrellas as crowds walked through the rain-soaked streets to choose the latest designs and colors for festive attire.
Textile shop owners said they had arranged for display of a variety of fabrics and readymade garments, just like previous years, to attract customers.
“Sales have improved in the last few days and today being a holiday, we expect even more footfall,” said a shopkeeper.
Sweet shops also witnessed brisk business as people stood in queues to collect pre-ordered Diwali gifts.
Traditional dishes like ghee sweets, kaju katli and laddus were in high demand, with some leading stores refusing to place new bulk orders due to overwhelming demand.
Many shopkeepers were seen sampling and buying new varieties of sweets, adding to the festive crowd.
Although sales were slow initially this season, traders said sales have picked up in the last few days.
However, the city’s firecracker trade faced a temporary setback due to the rains. Many stalls set up across the city remained quiet on Saturday morning, with only a handful of buyers turning up.
Vendors said business picked up when the rain subsided in the afternoon.
“We have started seeing more customers this evening. If the rain subsides today, we expect strong sales tomorrow,” said Sheikh Abdullah, executive president of Cracker Sellers Welfare Association.
Meanwhile, automobile showrooms have also recorded higher footfall this week. The recent GST cut on vehicles, coupled with festive discounts from car manufacturers, encouraged many people to book new cars and motorcycles ahead of Diwali.
Despite the rain, the festive spirit has not diminished in Chennai – traders are expecting record sales across all sectors on Diwali day.
–IANS
aal/vd