The shopping hubs in the city erupted in festive frenzy on the last Sunday before Durga Puja.
From old favourites Gariahat and New Market to glitzy malls, every place teemed with people looking for clothes and accessories.
People from the city as well as districts contributed to the shopping blitz.
In the afternoon, a spell of thunderstorm threatened to dampen the buying fervour. But the spell was too brief to have any serious impact.
Around 4pm, outside South City Mall, the traffic snarls on either flank of Prince Anwar Shah Road stretched till Jodhpur Park and the Lake Gardens crossing. For every two cars moving down the road, one would enter the mall.
The parking lots were full by 2pm, including the space on the roof, said a mall official. The additional cars were accommodated in the compound of South City International School.
Shekhar Sarkar, a businessman from Murshidabad’s Cossimbazar, had come to the mall with his daughter Parimugdha, 10. The father was carrying a bunch of bags.
“I have bought skirts and tops. We have also got something new for everyone in the family,” said Parimugdha.
The two had taken a train to Sealdah at 6.20am and were slated to take an evening train back home.
“I was not sure if she would be able to cope with the long and hectic schedule. But her energy seems to have outlasted mine,” said Sarkar.
The stores were buzzing with people. The cash counters had fairly long queues.
Shoppers at Gariahat. Bishwarup Dutta
“Any comparison with the festive season in 2020 would be useless because last year was different. There was no vaccine and the fear of Covid was looming large. But if we compare the run-up to the Pujas, 2021 has already surpassed 2019,” said Indrajit Chanda, regional manager, east, of a leading retail player. Chanda had come to visit a store in the mall.
The festive fervour was not to be missed at Quest Mall as well. A steady stream of cars and app cabs kept dropping visitors in front of the main entrance.
The crowd kept swelling as the day progressed.
“My shopping is almost complete. Today, I came for a watch and some other accessories,” said Aditi Parmar, a 26-year-old New Alipore resident.
At the outlet of a US designer shoes and accessories brand, two executives were constantly busy showing footwear to customers.
“The past 45 days have been solid in terms of business,” said the store manager.
The shopping arcade at 22 Camac Street was also teeming with customers. The rush proved too much for a guard conducting a thermal scan on each visitor.
At Gariahat and New Market, civic police personnel struggled to keep people from breaching the barricades. No shop was empty. No eatery had a vacant chair.
Hawkers called out to shoppers all along the footpaths lined with stalls. Those interested in taking a look would stop wherever they stood, unmindful of the pushing, shoving and nudging for an inch of space. In the true spirit of Puja shopping, hardly anyone complained.
There were at least a dozen customers inside Traders’ Assembly, the sari shop synonymous with the Gariahat intersection. An employee at Bedwin, a popular joint known for rolls, was struggling to handle the rush. “We have been selling nearly 100 kathi rolls an hour,” he said.
