Diwali spirit light up bustling markets in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: The city has come alive with the diyas and decorative lanterns and lighting ahead of the Diwali celebrations which are about to start in the next two days.

Seasonal street vendors who depend on festival sales for their income get ready to make some extra cash as Diwali approaches, by selling stylish selections of diyas, lamps, lanterns, Goddess Laxmi idols, firecrackers, and flowers.

As the festival will be celebrated in full swing after two years of Covid restrictions, market areas like the Old City, Attapur, Langer Houz, Monda market, Moazzamjahi market, Gandhi market, Subhash Road, Koti and Abids were flooded with enthusiastic people going on a festival shopping spree.

Every market has a different offering, from earthen lamps to clay oil lamps and diyas. These diyas in the city's bustling markets come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, including the Navdeep plate, Star Stand Deep, multi-faced, hanging, and doll versions.

After the Ganesh festival and Dasara, vendors and shop owners were anticipating robust sales for Diwali as well. People's joyful spirit was unaffected by the higher commodities prices as they hurried from stall to stall and shop to shop in search of the best diyas, Laxmi idols, illumination, and lanterns.

Suresh Kumar Yadav, a trader of clay goods in Bandlaguda Jagir, had at least 30 types of diyas for sale and hoped to do well this year. “We import these diyas from several states, including Gujarat, West Bengal, and Delhi,'' he said. Although the cost of transportation has undoubtedly increased by up to 30%, we are optimistic that this Diwali will see stronger sales than the previous two,” he said.

In several locations in Moazzamjahi market and Monda market, different hues and varieties of flowers, including marigold, lotus, jasmine, and chrysanthemums, could be seen stacked. Since people want to celebrate Diwali in a large way this year, Basheerbagh resident Rajesh Bai, who has been in the flower business for 30 years, stated that he was "certainly expecting to make a good business in the next two days."

Another idol vendor, K. Lavanya, who has been selling idols for four generations, voiced her displeasure with the sale's poor response due to sporadic rains and growing online purchasing trends.

"Sudden rains have a significant impact on our business. Increased labour and transportation costs are already a problem, and the unpredictable weather throws all the calculations for achieving the goal sales off course. Additionally, the availability of online shopping has hurt us because it costs more to sell goods online,” Lavanya said.

Rahul Talrejaa, shopkeeper at RP Road, has new varieties of lighting for sale this year with prices ranging from `100 to `500 and hopes to make good profit in the next two days.