Shop till you drop in Kolkata! It’s Durga Puja time

KOLKATA - With Durga Puja barely a couple of days away, shopping in Kolkata is at its peak. Saris, dhoti-kurtas, traditional jewellery, sweets, gift items have flooded the markets and malls and are being snapped up swiftly.

Not too many seem to mind the drab weather, as they get into buying mode and visit one shop after another with renewed enthusiasm. Big brands are cashing in on the festive fervour with vibrant designs and special offers.

“Van Heusen has come up with bright coloured apparel as they believe it will add a glow during the five-day festival,” said Kuldeep Singh, owner of the brand’s outlet in South City shopping mall.

Woodland, a prominent footwear brand, has come up with new designs. “We have new and better designs not only in formal shoes but also sneakers and trekking shoes,” said Avilash Singh, proprietor of Woodlands outlet at the South City shopping mall.

“We hope they will be admired by customers. We are also expecting feedback from them.”

Some brands are offering 50 percent discounts or have buy-two-get-one-free offers. Koutons, for instance, is offeringa a whopping discount of up to 80 percent.

The five-day festival, which will be in full flow by Thursday, sees Bengalis buying not just for themselves but also for relatives and friends. The common person is splurging anything between Rs.5,000 and Rs.7,000 on Durga Puja shopping.

“I’m very excited about shopping for the festival. This is the best time for it,” Moumita Pal, a resident of Lake Town, told IANS.

The autumnal festival brings out the best of fashion in Kolkata, mostly traditional. For women, it’s the time to look for saris with time-tested patterns as well as trendy designs.

Colourful baluchori, tant, dhakai and even trendy saris with sequin work are on offer, ranging from Rs.2,500 and up to Rs.20,000.

Even youngsters like to don traditional apparel during Durga Puja, especially so on Ashtami, which falls Oct 15. “On the day of ashtami, I will wear a bright coloured sari. But I will stick to my jeans on the other days,” 23-year-old Debasree Chatterjee said.

Shirts and sleeveless T-shirts with faded or tapered jeans, and salwar-kurtas are selling well.

Men prefer to wear crisp, starched dhotis and kurtas, matched with slippers. Many also pair their kurtas with pyjamas, though often these are not the ordinary kurtas but ornate ones with heavy kantha stitch or chikan work.

Traditional jewellery on offer includes heavy gold necklaces, ‘chur’ (heavy bangles), ‘mantasha’ (wristlet) - all worn by women on Puja days. They also flaunt their ancestral jewellery studded with diamonds, emeralds and rubies.

“Traditional designs are being preferred over trendy jewellery. Most jewellers create traditional jewellery just for the festival,” said the owner of Suddhi Jewellery.

At many stores, gold jewellery sets cost Rs.15,000 on the lower side, while diamond pieces come at a starting price of Rs.10,000.

Exchange of gifts has also started. While saris are commonly exchanged, nowadays cash is often given as gift. People send parcels containing gifts to relatives in different places of India and abroad.

And, of course, in the land of Bengalis, sweets can’t be far behind. Rasgulla, sharbhaja, malpoa and kheerer mishti are already seeing brisk sales and will peak once people start visiting neighbours, relatives and friends during and after Puja.