Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
The Diwali celebrations began on Friday with the traditional worship of cows and calves on the occasion of Vasu Baras. In several parts of the city, people began bursting firecrackers right from the first day, without waiting for Laxmi Pujan, marking an enthusiastic start to the festival. The rush in markets clearly showed that the shopping frenzy has reached its peak.
Shopping spread across different market areas
This year, along with the central old markets, many customers preferred to shop at stores located closer to their homes. As a result, areas such as Jalna Road, Seven Hills to Garkheda Chowk, Shivajinagar, Beed Bypass Road, and TV Centre have been witnessing large crowds over the past few days. Heavy rush was also seen in markets stretching from Trimurti Chowk, Gajanan Mandir to Pundliknagar Road, and from Farshi Maidan to TV Centre.
Crowded malls
Attractive offers in malls have drawn large numbers of customers. On Friday, queues of shoppers were seen outside several malls, with many people buying goods in bulk. Customers were spotted loading trolleys full of shopping bags into their vehicles after checkout.
Customers flock to firecracker markets
Buying firecrackers is considered the final round of Diwali shopping, usually done a couple of days before Laxmi Pujan. However, this year, customers began visiting firecracker stalls even before the main festival began. The firecracker markets at Ayodhyanagari and TV Centre saw particularly heavy crowds. On the day of Vasu Baras itself, people across the city lit firecrackers to welcome Diwali.
Gold and Silver prices drop on the eve of Dhanteras
On Friday morning, the price of gold was ₹1,34,000 per 10 grams, while silver was ₹1,76,000 per kilogram. By evening, gold rates had dropped by ₹2,000 to ₹1,32,000, and silver by ₹5,000 to ₹1,71,000 per kilogram. According to jeweller Jugal Kishore Verma, these prices are expected to remain stable through Saturday (Dhanteras) and Sunday.