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Taj city comes alive with festive roadside markets
Temporary roadside markets selling figurines of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi along with a variety of decoration pieces have sprouted everywhere in the Taj city.
Temporary roadside markets selling figurines of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi along with a variety of decoration pieces have sprouted everywhere in the Taj city. Some items available at these stall are artificial flowers, stick-on rangolis , wall hangings and candles.
“All decorative diyas (earthen lamps) in my stall have come from Kolkata. Only the small statues have been locally made in Agra,” said Shiv Mohan, owner of one such temporary stall in the city.
Vendors said that despite the stress on going green this Diwali, most of them were selling Plaster of Paris statuettes. “Green figurines are unavailable at these roadside markets. These are usually made on special orders,” said Shiv Mohan.
Florists are also happy with the brisk sales. Shravan Kumar, who set up his cart of flowers at a roadside market on Saturday, said, “I started selling flowers at 8 am. By 4 pm, more than half had been sold. I hope to finish off my stock by 8 in the evening.”
Apart from traditional sweetmeats, gift packs of dry fruits, fresh fruits and chocolates were proving to be popular among customers, said a vendor.
Riya Bansal, a designing student, said she preferred buying from roadside markets. “Although there are shops that stock high-end decorative items too, I prefer buying from small vendors. Diwali is a festival of happiness and many actors and actresses are also promoting the practice of buying from local shops,” she said.
