Busy markets lead to jammed roads in Gurgaon

Markets on Friday saw a huge rush on account of Dhanteras, the auspicious day for buying metals. Sadar Bazar, the main market located in the heart of Old Gurgaon, was especially crowded.

Markets on Friday saw a huge rush on account of Dhanteras, the auspicious day for buying metals. Sadar Bazar, the main market located in the heart of Old Gurgaon, was especially crowded.

Shoppers throng Sadar Bazaar in Old Gurgaon on the occasion of Dhanteras on Friday. Gold and silver ornaments, utensils, gifts, crackers, clothes and sweets were on most shopping lists. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Markets in sectors 14, 31, 44, 15, 29, DLF Phase1, Palam Vihar, Sushant Lok, 57, 45 and MG Road were also crowded on Friday leading to jams as most arterial and internal roads.

The market rush resulted in jams on most roads in Old Gurgaon, especially in Sadar Bazar and adjacent areas.

Old and new Railway road, Bhuteshwar temple, Guruddwara road, civil lines, bus stand area witnessed jams throughout the day. A heavy jam was seen on Delhi-Gurgaon expressway in the evening

Gold and silver ornaments, utensils, gifts, crackers, clothes and sweets were part of the shopping list of most of the festival revelers.

Even mobile phone shops and those selling ready-made garments were crowded as shoppers looked for good deals. Dealers of cars and two-wheelers also offered schemes to lure customers, as many prefer to buy expensive items on Dhanteras.

Kamal Kumar, who lives in Sector 31, was in Sadar Bazar to get a taste of the charm of the festive season. He said he bought a gold item and utensils to mark the occasion of Dhanteras. “I am getting married in January, so I also bought some dresses as shops were offering good discounts,” Kumar said.

Shops selling utensils and electronic goods also did brisk business. S S Bohra, a showroom owner, said sales were higher this year as compared to last year.

A large numbers of buyers were from rural areas. “A number of people in our village got compensation from the government years after our land was acquired. So are spending this Diwali,” said Manish Yadav, a villager.

Anil Jindal, secretary, Gurgaon Jewellers Association, said shops saw a rush since morning and there was a sustained interest in gold purchase. He said ornaments worth ₹10 crore would have been sold today.