THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sweets, lights and crackers, Deepavali is best defined in these three words. Though rains tried to put a dampener on the eve of Deepavali, there was no beating the enthusiasm. The city got immersed in the sounds and sights of the festival on Tuesday, with shops bustling with last-minute shoppers and sweet packets clocking big sales. There was a time when buying crackers at reasonable rates meant going to the suburbs - Nedumangad, Poozhikunnu, Attingal and even out of state to Sivakasi. But with the sprouting of ‘Padaku kadas’ in every nook and corner, the style of Deepavali trade has undergone a massive change. Big traders buy in huge bulks and distribute the items to retailers, making big money with a whisk of the wand. But, how many of these retail outlets have authorised licence to conduct sales is often revealed with a big bang. ‘’We have coordinated with the Police to make sure that the shops selling crackers have licence. We are keeping a close watch too,’’ said District Collector M Nandakumar. But, according to sources, many shops that come up two days before the festival and wind up on the night after Deepavali seldom have a licence to flaunt. By the time the District administration gets to the bottom of the matter, the shops make a huge profit in just two days. Till the time of this paper going to press, no untoward incidents have been reported in connection with the bursting of fire crackers. But our shutterbugs testify that many roads, especially the narrow bylanes in many residents’ associations, have already turned into ‘minefields’ by Tuesday evening. What is less worrying and attractive about Deepavali is, of course, the different sizes of sweet boxes that are lined up in confectioneries. In Karamana, where the festival is most vividly celebrated by the Tamil community, the shops register brisk sales in sweet boxes. Unlike in the heart of the city, where sweet packets start for not less than Rs 110, in Karamana you get them for Rs 90 and less. ‘’Over the years, it has become a primary gift item during Deepavali. The sweet boxes have the advantage of giving the customer a chance to taste around 10 different sweets at one go,’’ said Murugan, who runs a sweet stall in Karamana. Like Christmas, when cakes are sent out by Corporate houses as part of thanksgiving, during Deepavali the sweet boxes do the part. ‘’For bulk orders, we do give a concession and discount. Offices and institutions order sweet boxes during the time,’’ said the owner of Amer Bakery, Sasthamangalam. There may be different opinions on the way huge amounts are burnt for a few seconds of joy, but Deepavali remains one of the expensive festivals, lighting up the night in sparkling colours.
Comments
0 comment