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Delhi’s bazaars attract shoppers from other cities around Deepavali. People stock up on dry fruits, sweets, electrical lights and other items before the festival. The current state of the economy has not dampened the spirit of the wholesale markets. Crowds gather there, to buy gifts in bulk and at cheaper rates, weeks before the festival, even as businesses elsewhere rue the lack of customers. The option of online shopping, however, has driven away many regular buyers from the shops, say some retail shopkeepers at Bhagirath Palace, a market for electrical goods near Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi. A few shopkeepers at the dry fruit market at Khari Baoli also say sales are lower compared to those of previous years. On the other hand, Rohit, who is a second-generation trader in dry fruit items in Khari Baoli, a market also known fot its spices, says that his shop is packed with wholesale buyers. They have been buying in bulk before the festival, which falls on October 27 this year.
- Kamal Narang
Local flavours: Khari Baoli in Old Delhi is often described as Asia’s largest spice market
It’s a wrap: Fancy packaging for gifts sold separately at Khari Baoli
Light it up: Lakshmi and Ganesh lamps are a big draw at Bhagirath Palace, an electrical goods market in Delhi
Fairy goods: Demand for Chinese decorative lights remains as popular as ever
Business as usual: Khari Baoli had regular customers return for festive shopping
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