Heavy rush for Puja shopping in city as festival nears
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
Sonia H Moni
People of the Hindu community in the capital are busy with the last minute shopping as Durga Puja, the biggest festival of the Hindu community, is knocking at the door.
Puja shopping is gaining momentum side by side with Eid shopping. Although the biggest festival of the Hindu community starts on September 24, three days after the Eid-ul-Fitr, Puja shoppers have to finish shopping because of the Eid vacation.
Over 30 shopping malls and 350 supermarkets of the capital are showcasing their special collection ahead of Eid and Durga Puja.
Preparation for Puja is underway in the old part of Dhaka's Shankhari bazar, Tanti bazaar, Lakshmi bazar areas.
Buying a new sari, salwar-kameez, panjabi or kids ‘wear is an essential part of the festivity for the Hindu religious people. All of them try to buy a new dress and accessories from glittering shopping malls to indigenous boutique houses to footpath vendors according to their capacity.
Krishna Shengupta, a housewife, said, “I prefer a red-white combination sari, a pair of shankha-red bangles, shindur, a big red bindi and alta (red dye for foot decoration for women) for me for Durga Puja, which comes once a year”.
"It's exciting to visit Puja mandaps with family wearing new dresses. To enjoy that moment to the fullest I buy for my family, relatives and friends every year."
Prima Prottoy Dhar, a student of Eden College, said "I usually buy cotton saris for my mother, aunt and grandma from Mouchak market in the city. This year price is quite high so I have to charge extra Tk 150-200 for per piece of sari."
Putul Howlader, a housewife, said, "My daughter has finished all the Puja shopping for family and relatives before Shab-e-barat. But this year she has to pay extra Tk 4000 for the total shopping than that of the previous year."
Shankha and shindur are essential part of Puja. According to the shankha traders, the sale of shankha goes up during the Puja than normal times because women prefer to wear new shankha, which costs Tk 300-2000 per pair. A normal or glitter shindur packet costs Tk 20-100.
For the last three or four years Puja and Eid festivals have been coinciding, which is seen as a good symbol for the people of this country.
People of the Hindu community in the capital are busy with the last minute shopping as Durga Puja, the biggest festival of the Hindu community, is knocking at the door.
Puja shopping is gaining momentum side by side with Eid shopping. Although the biggest festival of the Hindu community starts on September 24, three days after the Eid-ul-Fitr, Puja shoppers have to finish shopping because of the Eid vacation.
Over 30 shopping malls and 350 supermarkets of the capital are showcasing their special collection ahead of Eid and Durga Puja.
Preparation for Puja is underway in the old part of Dhaka's Shankhari bazar, Tanti bazaar, Lakshmi bazar areas.
Buying a new sari, salwar-kameez, panjabi or kids ‘wear is an essential part of the festivity for the Hindu religious people. All of them try to buy a new dress and accessories from glittering shopping malls to indigenous boutique houses to footpath vendors according to their capacity.
Krishna Shengupta, a housewife, said, “I prefer a red-white combination sari, a pair of shankha-red bangles, shindur, a big red bindi and alta (red dye for foot decoration for women) for me for Durga Puja, which comes once a year”.
"It's exciting to visit Puja mandaps with family wearing new dresses. To enjoy that moment to the fullest I buy for my family, relatives and friends every year."
Prima Prottoy Dhar, a student of Eden College, said "I usually buy cotton saris for my mother, aunt and grandma from Mouchak market in the city. This year price is quite high so I have to charge extra Tk 150-200 for per piece of sari."
Putul Howlader, a housewife, said, "My daughter has finished all the Puja shopping for family and relatives before Shab-e-barat. But this year she has to pay extra Tk 4000 for the total shopping than that of the previous year."
Shankha and shindur are essential part of Puja. According to the shankha traders, the sale of shankha goes up during the Puja than normal times because women prefer to wear new shankha, which costs Tk 300-2000 per pair. A normal or glitter shindur packet costs Tk 20-100.
For the last three or four years Puja and Eid festivals have been coinciding, which is seen as a good symbol for the people of this country.