Bhubaneswar, Feb. 25: Those who do not have access to costly electronic equipment or might have trouble with their summer electric bills are going for offbeat and resourceful ways to stay cool instead of sweating it out on the streets.
With the advent of summer, the rush at theatres, malls and other retail stores has increased with people taking full advantage of the cooler air in public buildings. People of different age groups, especially home-makers and college students, have found window-shopping as an easy way to beat the heat.

“The summer has set in quite early this year, and it seems that it's going to stay for long. One cannot afford to put on the air-conditioner all the time, so we are taking advantage of the shopping malls to get some respite,” said 47-year-old home-maker Sulagna Mohapatra, who was seen hopping shops with her friends at a shopping complex near Saheed Nagar.
There are a number of shopping zones in various parts of the city providing ample options to the citizens to loiter, try clothes and window-shop aimlessly for hours. One can also kill time at the game zones available at select malls along with gorging on an array of cuisines available at the food courts.

Young folks are taking advantage of the cyber cafes and spending time surfing and reading on Net. “Earlier between classes, we used to hang around in the garden or parking area of our college. But, due to the heat it has become impossible to stay out for long. Also we do not want to stay at homes, so Internet cafes are the coolest places to be during this time as they are peaceful and provides opportunities for entertainment and are an useful source of gathering knowledge,” said Archana Patnaik, a student of BJB College.

One can hang around at an Internet café for an hour against a pocket pinch of Rs 10.

A few are also escaping into the city parks ideal for relaxing under the shades of huge trees. The water bodies found in a few of them like in the Ekamrakanan at IRC Village also offer a breezy retreat.

For the film lovers, the ideal place to chill out this summer is the theatres. With a bucket of popcorn on the lap, a dimly-lit cool atmosphere and a smash hit cinema on the screens, the agenda is set. There are a number of theatres, including one multiplex showing the latest Odia, Hindi and English releases, in the city.

“I live here alone and do not have many friends. Last week on my off day, I was getting extremely bored and did not want to stay at home. With this heat, one cannot also loiter on the streets, so I booked a ticket for an afternoon show at a nearby theatre,” said Deepshikha Musadi, who is working in an IT company here.

“The sale of tickets has gone up by around 10 per cent since the past few days, and it is bizarre because no such good films are running in the theatres. The heat is too extreme and taking recluse in the theatres during the summer is one of the favourable options. They are affordable and air-conditioned as well,” said founder of online ticketing portal, BookTicketNow, and film distributor Swagat Kar.

In another development, the library and the museum are also witnessing a sudden rush. “Since the past few weeks, the rush has escalated, and it is high especially in the afternoon when the heat it at its peak. Outside it is all so uncomfortable and sticky, but here they can unwind while reading a book by their favourite author,” said a senior official at the state library.