Braving the virus: With days to go for Durga Puja, Kolkatans throng markets
Kolkata: With Durga Puja just a few days away, markets and shopping malls across the city witnessed an unprecedented surge of footfall as Kolkatans, after restricting themselves to their shells for months amid the outbreak of the pandemic, set aside the fear of Coronavirus on the penultimate Sunday.
The markets which less than a month ago wore a deserted look witnessed a rush of shoppers. The stall and shop owners at New Market, Hatibagan and Gariahat who
were longing for adequate income, had something to cheer about at last, as the puja fervour brought back the bustle to these markets. Most of the puja shoppers were seen getting down at Esplanade Metro station to do their shopping from New Market.
"Durga Puja is incomplete without puja shopping from New Market. Yes, we are scared of COVID-19. Maintaining physical distancing, I bought a shirt and trouser from New Market today," said Vibhor Jaiswal, resident of Gariahat.
People started to throng various shops from the morning while many other shoppers preferred to go out for the shopping malls towards the evening only to avoid the scorching heat.
Most people pointed out that their puja shopping budget curtailed due to the financial crisis following the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I bought half the number of dresses for Durga Puja this year. I don't have money," Prantika Mukherjee, resident of Howrah Mandirtala.
All the roads leading to the city's shopping destinations were busy after the countdown to Durga Puja had begun on October 11. Dharmatala, New Market area, Park Street, Gariahat, Shyambazar and Haatibagan are among the places that had witnessed huge footfall of puja buyers.
"On Sunday, we got some respite from the losses that have badly hit us in the last few months due to COVID- 19 pandemic. We are happy. We achieved 50 per cent sales target in comparison to last year's data," Rajesh Ailani, who owns four shops in the New Market and Chowringhee area.
He reiterated before entering the shop customers were given hand sanitizers and then the thermal screening was done. Customers without masks were not allowed to enter the shop.
Apart from various branded shops in the malls, the roadside stalls selling various items in the New Market and Gariahat area and along Lindsay Street, did brisk business.
Meanwhile, policemen were deployed at all the market important locations in plain clothes to keep a vigil on the shoppers violating COVID-19 protocol.
