Dhanteras shopping halts traffic

The festivities began early on Monday morning, with Dhanteras marking the auspicious start to the festival. Delhiites were seen investing heavily on basic utensils to gadgets, since Dhanteras has always been synonymous with investment in new goods.

The festivities began early on Monday morning, with Dhanteras marking the auspicious start to the festival. Delhiites were seen investing heavily on basic utensils to gadgets, since Dhanteras has always been synonymous with investment in new goods.

HT Image

“I bought a brass ‘Om’ for the temple in our house. I also bought a silver Ganesh-Lakshmi pair since it is considered auspicious,” said Namrata Bhardwaj, a resident of Kailash Colony.

Yet others chose to invest in technology and give a new look to their houses to mark the onset of Diwali. “There is no better time to invest in something expensive than Dhanteras. I bought myself a new BlackBerry today and my family has also bought new utensils. We have also got the house painted for Diwali,” said Pushpal Singh, a resident of Mayur Vihar.

Retailers and shop owners across the city had a field day with sales soaring manifold because of the rise in expenditure levels. Sale of utensils spiraled upwards as people spent thousands on new goods.

“On regular days my sales range between Rs 3,000-Rs 4,000. But on Monday, our sales soared and stood between Rs10,000-Rs12,000,” said Ajay Gupta, a hardware store owner in Lajpat Nagar.