Rain cannot dampen the spirit of Puja shoppers 2022

Thousands of Puja shoppers braved the rains and swarmed malls and markets. Even people from nearby districts travelled to Kolkata to pick up the best on offer and make bargains. The shops in the Esplanade area were overflowing with shoppers. People traveled for hours by bus to arrive at their destination in the Lindsay Street and New Market area. Carts that sold ice creams and cold beverages did brisk business. Shoppers had to avoid the sea of umbrellas. In Gariahat area there were stalls that sold trinkets were busy as were the sari stores. The parking lot of South City Mall was packed and many cars had to park in other locations. Brisk business in malls and markets ahead of Durga Puja. Business was brisk and sellers were happy at the jump in sales.

Many of the shoppers made a beeline for the food courts, where available, to taste the exotic dishes. There was a wide variety of Indian and foreign dishes on offer. The general manager of one of the malls revealed that ethnic wear, denim and jewelry were the top picks. Many shoppers look for bargains in the end of season sale. Incidentally, food was part of the agenda of many shoppers. Eateries were busy throughout the day.

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Kolkata gears up for Durga Puja rush with special buses for shoppers

The government of West Bengal wants people to forget the woes of Covid and its restrictions that had strangled businesses for 2 years. This year the focus is on enjoying the goodies that any festival can offer. In order to satisf ay the transportation needs of the common man the West Bengal government has introduced a special bus. The intention is to satisfy the desire for shopping spree that the festivities demand. This will help the shoppers to move about and give a push to the shopping. The special bus will operate in the commercial district of the city as announced by West Bengal's minister of transport. He said the buses would be available from September 4 through September 25. This will include weekends and public holidays. These would cover the commercial districts of Gariahat, Shyambazar, and Esplanade. Moreover, between 12 PM and 9 PM, there will be special air conditioned buses throughout the commercial areas of Kolkata. Other routes to be covered would be from places like Esplanade and Howrah to other destinations in all directions. Durga Puja 2022: Kolkata launches special shopping buses for Durga Puja season till September 25.

An official of the West Bengal Transport Department explained that the action of introducing special buses for Durga Puja shoppers was taken after the outbreak of pandemic had put a brake on the festivities in the city. The Covid since 2020 prohibited people from enthusiastically celebrating Durga Pujo. However, this year there are indications that things are much better. In view of the changed scenario, the transport department is taking action to support this. These special shopping buses will be parked in areas where people can utilize the service as a hop-on-hop-off in retail areas. There will not be any additional fees for individuals who use the service.

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Business mood in Durga Puja markets in malls and footpaths

This year, Durga Puja starts on October 1 and the markets are in business mood. Apart from malls, the shops in New Market, Gariahat and other footpaths are gearing up to woo the customers. While the shopping malls display pomp and show apart from glamor, the roadside shops have an advantage of their own. Their overheads are less in comparison to malls. Hence, they can offer products at much lesser prices and customers can even bargain to get the items at cheaper rates. This makes for fair competition and there is all round satisfaction. The common people are the patrons and they have to weigh their wants with their finances. While the rich can afford to gorge on pizzas and ice creams in air-conditioned comfort between shopping, the not-so-fortunate ones have to make do with jhal muri and tele bhaja.

There are the two famous malls in south Kolkata. One is the South City Mall on Prince Anwar Shah Road, the other is the Acropolis Mall near Kasba. This year, the Covid threat perception is considerably low. As a result, businesses expect good returns. The rush has led to traffic jams in and around these malls. Obviously, the festive season has arrived and footfalls are on the rise. These are in thousands. The authorities of the malls confirm this. Puja early shoppers crowd Kolkata malls, markets to trigger revival hopes. This festival brings out the best in not only fashion but also in the general outlook of the people. Some of them work out plans to move away from the hustle and bustle of city life and enjoy the holidays among nature.

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Independence of India – I was there on that day

Yes, I was present on 15th of August 1947. It was the Independence Day of India and I was a three-year old child at the time. On this, the 75th Independence Day, I still remember how people enjoyed the occasion. At that time, I stayed with my parents and younger brother in Belgachhia. It was in North Calcutta and my father owned a lorry. He with two of his friends had a business of sorts. They used to transport coal from the coalfields and distribute them to the local dealers. They had a very trusted driver who was a Muslim and played a crucial role. It was a period of unrest with riots between the two communities prior to the partition of Bengal. The driver would ensure that the lorry with my father and his friends would move out safely through sensitive spots. He carried a change of clothes in the lorry and the occupants wore them, as necessary, to avoid any local problems. These are what my father told me much later when I could understand the intricacies.

Anyway – to come back to details of 15th of August 1947. It was raining and I was in the lorry. It was crowded and my parents were there as were the families of his partners. There were many others and the, lorry was crowded as were the roads. They were jam packed with people who carried the Indian flag and shouted slogans of Bharat Mata ki jai. There were also lines of vehicles and all of them were moving at a snail’s pace in one direction. All of them wanted to see the huge statue of Bharat Mata that a shop in College Street had put up. The shop was a landmark. It sold readymade clothes and the statue was enclosed in a glass case on the first floor and visible from the road. It was still there in the 1960s when I used to travel to my school in Bowbazar Street and college in Park Street. I do not know if it is still there.

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