KUALA LUMPUR: Rain has not dampened the spirit of Hindus busy preparing to celebrate Deepavali on Wednesday.
Shoppers have been thronging not only the regular hotspots at Jalan Masjid India, ‘Little India’ Brickfields, Sentul and Jalan Tengku Kelana in Klang but also the Deepavali shopping carnivals at the Bukit Jalil Stadium and the Malawati Stadium in Shah Alam.
A check by Bernama found that shoppers did not mind getting drenched in the rain just so that they could finish their preparations for this year’s Festival of Lights.
Visitors were seen in long queues at the carnivals, a shoppers’ haven where almost everything was available under one roof, such as clothing and food.
Shoppers were spoilt for choice with the availability of an array of colourful sarees, ‘lehenga’ suits and ‘jippas’ to choose from as well as delicacies such as ‘muruku’, ‘laddu’ and ‘atherasam’.
Besides performances by local artists at the carnival, traders also put on a ‘performance’ by blasting the melodies of Tamil music to attract buyers to their stalls.
According to N. Gayathiri, 36, shopping in the rain was challenging as she had to find shelter every time it poured but continued with her hunt for Deepavali goodies whenever it stopped raining.
For Sugenthiran Ramachandran, 41, last-minute shopping was a norm for himself and family as traders offered lower prices at this time.
In SEREMBAN, Farhana Nabillah Zakaria reports that the ‘Little India’ enclave along Jalan Yam Tuan and Jalan Datuk Lee Fong Yee was a centre of attraction not only for the Hindu community but others too for their shopping needs.
Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the existence of the Little India there was advantageous to the large Hindu population in the city.
“With this Little India right smack in town, people can buy clothing, food and prayer items in one place without having to make many stops.
“To me, our Little India is something to be proud of as it attracts local and international visitors,” he said during a walkabout at the Deepavali bazaar in Little India organised by the Negri Sembilan Tamil Youth Bell Club last night.
Negri Sembilan Tamil Youth Bell Club chairman K. Murali said this was the fifth year they had organised the bazaar.
“We started with 17 stalls in 2010 but now we have 109 stalls for the Indian community and locals to shop at. We give priority to youths to trade and increase their income. I am confident that with support and guidance for these youths, they can do well,” he said.
He said goods sold at the bazaar were much cheaper compared to other places as they targeted the low- and middle-income groups. - BERNAMA