Srinagar, Sep 19 (Inditop.com) Markets in Srinagar and elsewhere in the Kashmir Valley are a colourful sight ahead of Eid – gaily decorated shops selling sweetmeats, clothes, poultry beckoning shoppers and pavement sellers hawking their ware amid jostling buyers – as shopping reaches a feverish pitch.
Roadside bazaars have sprung up in most parts of the old city and uptown areas of the summer capital, wooing Eid shoppers in the last few days before the festival that falls Monday.
Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated after the Muslim fasting month of Ramzan and people plan their budgets in such a manner that extra cash is available to the family for a bit of self indulgence on the festival.
Traffic in Srinagar city has become chaotic with pavement sellers occupying every inch of space to display their goods. Shoppers crowd the markets to purchase new clothes, sweetmeats, bakery, mutton, poultry and other items for their families.
Special discounts have been announced by many traders to attract buyers.
In the fashionable Polo View Market, a readymade garments shop opened recently announced a flat 80 percent discount on all purchases.
And, the shop owner sold his entire stock of readymade clothes during the last three days.
“I am now waiting for two truckloads of garments,” he said.
For bakery, mutton, poultry and sweetmeat sellers, Eid in Kashmir always comes with a windfall.
“We have already sold the entire stocks of bakery and are unable to keep pace with the demand this Eid,” said the owner of a well-known bakery shop on Maulana Azad Road of the city.
The government has also set up poultry sale outlets. Officials of the animal husbandry department here said one million birds were available for sale at these retail outlets.
Besides, cooking gas cylinders and fire crackers are also in high demand in the city.
Although there is no shortage of essential commodities and the authorities have deployed squads to keep a watch over prices, complaints of traders over-charging are common.
“It all depends on your bargaining capacity. I saw a lady buying a readymade dress for Rs.1,000 and I bought a similar dress for my daughter at Rs.700 from that very shop after a little haggling,” said Manzoor Ahmad, 53, a resident of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
A silver lining to this year’s Eid shopping in Srinagar is the absence of polythene bags in which shopkeepers would pack the goods for customers.
The authorities have imposed a ban on polythene in the state and the order is being strictly enforced.
“Polythene has done enough damage to our environment and ecology. The ban order has been strictly enforced so that people get into the habit of using bio-degradable packing material which do not damage the ecology,” said a senior government official.
“For an additional Rs.10 on your purchases, the shopkeepers are giving bio-degradable bags. It feels nice to use these bags which are harmless,” said Bilal Ahmad, 49, a university teacher here.
“Before the ban order, the city would appear littered with heaps of polythene bags. It definitely looks better now,” Ahmad said.
Looking at the markets overflowing with goods and shoppers – a thought occurs. Do people really need so much to celebrate the Eid festival?
“But you must understand that Kashmiris have fewer occasions to celebrate than those living outside the state,” said Bashir Ahmad, 57, a veterinarian here.
“Tensions and violence have taken so much toll of our lives that any single occasion to be happy is enough reason for a little self-indulgence.”
