With firecrackers out of the fray, many residents are preferring to spend on lights this year. And despite the general lull in the market, some shops have stocked up on new and innovative items.

"The rush has not reduced,” assures Rishiraj Ghosh of Sri Guru Bhandar in IA Market. “This I realised during Lakshmi puja when we nearly ran out of stock of puja materials and I had to call for more in the last minute. This year people want to pray more than ever. If anything, they have started shopping days ahead instead of on the eve of Diwali hoping to avoid crowds.”

Sankar Cosmetics in CK Market has a wide range of candles - from the tealight variety mounted on miniature chariots (Rs 70-100) to the gel variety shaped like rosebuds (Rs 100).

Scented candles at Sankar Cosmetics, CK Market

Indrapuri in BJ Market has earthen diyas (within Rs 100) as well as battery-operated candle replicas where a “flame” lights up and dances in the wind (Rs 20-80). “These are the best sellers this year as they are attractive and don’t need to be refilled with oil or ghee halfway through the evening,” says the salesgirl, Jhuma Naskar.

IA Market has candles set in beads and stones as well as blocks with “Happy Diwali” painted on them. Another eye-catching candle comes in attractive little bottles resembling those of face cream. “These scented candles cost about Rs 90 and are being lapped up by customers. We also have star-shaped wooden stands with pompoms at the edges which one wouldn’t find elsewhere,” says Rahul Sahni of Parampara in CB Block.

Scented candles at Sankar Cosmetics, CK Market

Market down 

The elephant in the room, of course, is the state of the economy and despite how beautifully shops are decorated, Nitai Chandra Debnath of Needs in Baisakhi is worried that footfall is low.

Manika Biswas of New Town’s Action Area 1A Market has got electric string bulbs punctuated with metallic geometric designs as well as those shaped like ghots, “but it’s no good if I get one customer an hour,” sighs the lady from Biswas Enterprise.

“Budgets of Diwali gift hampers are down to 30 or 40 per cent and the number of hampers being distributed has down to just as much. But diyas and candles are still being gifted as they are small and relatively inexpensive items,” says Ekta Agarwal of CB Block’s Namotsav.

Electric candles at Indrapuri, BJ Market

The doshokorma bhandar at GD Market is cocksure sales will be low and hasn’t invested in any fancy lights at all. “We are selling traditional diyas and that’s it,” says the vendor.

Sree Guru stores usually sells fire crackers on a table outside BD Market this season, “but diyas and candles will never arouse equal excitement. So we’re displaying these outside the store itself,” says Swapan Saha.

Babloo Mistri usually gets two pushcarts of Diwali items worth Rs 15 to 20,000 but this year even his single cart with Rs 5,000 worth products aren’t selling. “People are looking for the cheapest possible items but below a price I’ll suffer losses,” says the man who is keeping his cart near Eden Shop.

Wooden candle stands at Parampara, CB Block

Lack of craftsmen 

Archies Gallery in City Centre usually has an enviable collection of candle stands this time of the year, “but the lockdown has hit supply and we only have one model now,” says salesgirl Shukla Biswas. The model in question looks like a dessert bowl and costs Rs 699.

Legend, an art store at the mall, makes its own items. “But this time artisan are unable to commute to the workshop and it has hit supply. We don’t have as much variety as before,” says the salesgirl, Kakali Sarkar.

Stonework candle stands at Sri Guru Bhandar, IA Market

China challenger 

Many customers have been enquiring the origin of products this year before buying and vendors are on the defensive.

"Yes, we are selling Chinese candles but these are leftovers from last year. We won’t buy them afresh,” says Pinky Sahoo of Ma Mahamaya Paan Bhandar in BJ Market.

Shivam Saha of CA Market has diyas from Kumartuli but sky lanterns that are Chinese. “I would get made-in-India fanushes if I found any but there’s no such product in the market. I know the public is against Chinese products now so I haven’t kept the fanushes on display. If someone asks I’ll bring them out and if they don’t sell at all I’ll release them in the air myself,” says Saha, from behind the Chandrabani counter.

Ornamental candle holders at Needs, Baisakhi. Picture by Debasmita Bhattacharjee

At New Town Gift Gallery in Eden Shop, Nasirul Islam says customers are weighing sentiment against prices. “Indian rangoli colour, for instance, costs Rs 120 a pack whereas the Chinese one costs Rs 70. People are tempted and we have run out of the Chinese packets now,” he says.

But Rishiraj of IA Market points at a new ploy. “Some Chinese products are now being labelled ‘Made in PRC’ and that shopkeepers are feigning ignorance when asked what that means (People’s Republic of China). Others are sending parts from China and getting the products assembled in India and so they no longer have ‘Made in China’ printed on them.