From the usual sweets and dry fruits to handicrafts and bags with antique looks, Bengalureans are engaged in buying a variety of gifts for their friends and family this Deepavali season.
The festive season has brought alive the bustling markets of the city, with shoppers thronging every store.
Jayanagar 4th Block shopping complex is one of the many areas where people are thronging. “Colourful diyas, clay diyas, and Ganesha and Lakshmi clay idols are what customers typically from the northern part of India find unique, especially during this season,” said Veena at one of the shops in the complex. She said that most of the items currently in demand are colourful rangoli stickers with the Deepavali wishes inscribed on them. “Jayanagar 4th Block is the one place where I think you can literally find everything, so you can come and shop at one go,” said Jyoti Raman, a shopper in the area.
The Handicrafts Museum located on Commercial Street is another place where people typically buy gifts and trinkets for their loved ones. “People prefer gifts within a budget of ₹500. We got a lot of orders for elephant figures, candle stands, colourful boxes, and stone items,” said a salesperson.
At Safina Plaza in Shivajinagar, bags with antique looks were in great demand. Imran, the owner of the shop Jewellery Bazaar, said, “I don’t think you can find these bags anywhere else. We manufacture these bags. They are eye-catchers; these are something you can either wear for parties or functions to highlight your look or gift others, especially during Deepavali,” he said. Their store has other jewellery items such as metal bracelets, earrings, and neckpieces which were also being bought by customers for gifting purposes. The gift shops in the city are also thriving with bulk orders and customers buying gift boxes.
M. Suresh, the manager of K.C. Das store on Church Street, said, “People prefer to buy assorted sweets which have a longer shelflife, something like ladoos or ghee-based sweets which stay for seven or eight days.”
Apart from shopping at markets, many have also been buying Deepavali gifts online. Sustainable gift options such as plants, handmade articles, and clay articles have been in demand, some sellers reported.
