Kolkata Markets See Shopping Rush, Pandal Preparations As Durga Puja Nears

Colours, celebration, pandals and shopping are what driving Kolkata these days with Durga Puja around the corner, the biggest festival for people of Bengal. Navratri begins from October 11, and hence the markets are brimming with trendy outfits and puja materials. As for the preparations, continuous rain over the past few days troubled the markets, but the same has changed since last Sunday.

Also, this is the first time ever that West Bengal will celebrate Durga Puja under Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime. 

'Joy To Shop For Puja Remains Unchanged'

Even amidst the looming threat of rain, bamboo pandals are being erected across the nooks and crannies of Kolkata, and final preparations for idol-making are underway in Kumartuli. Areas like New Market, Hatibagan, and Gariahat are packed to the brim with people from the afternoon onwards.

The familiar scene of pre-Puja shopping has returned to Gariahat. Since the afternoon, the Kolkata Police have had to implement special measures to manage the crowds of pedestrians. Since 3 PM, vehicular movement on all roads leading to Gariahat has been sluggish-a situation caused entirely by the shopping rush.

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Amidst the crushing crowds, NDTV spoke to busy traders and shoppers to gauge the level of excitement surrounding this year's Durga Puja.

Tridib Chattopadhyay, accompanied by his family, is busy shopping for Puja after finishing work. There is a palpable sense of excitement and special preparation within the Chattopadhyay family this year; this marks the first Puja celebration for Tridib's only daughter since she passed her Madhyamik examination.

"There hasn't been any significant change in the preparations for the city's Durga Puja. Even with changes in the government, the shopping frenzy at Kolkata's Gariahat market remains exactly the same. We shop at Gariahat every year. We started our shopping a bit late this time due to the rain. While many things in the city have changed, the joy of wandering through Gariahat to shop for Puja remains unchanged," Tridib said.

A Gariahat merchant mentioned that the shopping crowds have been increasing slightly towards the late afternoon over the past few days.

Business Thrives In New Market Area Amid Concerns Of Hawkers' Eviction

With the festive shopping season in full swing, the New Market area has once again become a focal point, this time amidst concerns regarding the eviction of hawkers and crackdowns on illegal parking. Since the change of government four months ago, the market has frequently made headlines due to these various issues. Despite initial anxiety leading up to the Puja, a last-minute surge in shopping has revitalised this historic city market.

Rahmat Ali, who sells cloth bags while moving through the 'Home Market' section, shared his experience, "I was quite worried about how business would fare this Puja, so I didn't stock up on too much merchandise. But now, I see that sales are actually quite good. For the time being, no one has asked us to move away from here."

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Soma Bandyopadhyay had come all the way from Howrah. Busy with her Puja shopping, she said, "I hear all sorts of things in the news about how New Market and College Street are going to change. But to me, these places represent Kolkata's heritage. Just as we visit shopping malls, we also love browsing through New Market and bargaining while shopping for the Puja. I want things to stay just the way they are".

A similar scene of crowds was witnessed in the Hatibagan area where shopping was in full swing as soon as evening fell.