A day before Diwali, the markets are found buzzing with the shoppers flocking them in their hordes. Sweets and cookies are all the rage. Those who sell sweets were seen busy throughout the day while meeting the demands of the customers.
Buying sweets and other gift items and present to close once is an important part of the Deepawali traditions. Along with the buying spree, there are still many who prepare varieties mouthwatering sweets at homes like Gujiya, laddoos and barfis. These items always on the top of preference list
Those, who have been selling sweets, looked delighted, finding the steady flow of buyers flocking their shops. The similar picture can be seen at other shops which sell candles, diyas and electric lights, indispensable paraphernalia of the Deepawali celebration. Despite hue and cry being raised against fireworks which were long deemed to be the quintessence of Deepawali, the shops which sell firecrackers saw hordes of buyers, particularly, the children and the youngsters.
Adulteration in sweets and bakery items worried the buyers. They have been preferring known shops where chance of adulteration is least.Manish Semwal, found standing outside a sweet shop on EC Road, said, "I have come here to purchase sweets to gift my near ones. We prepare sweets at our home too. But as the family is big we have to buy some from the shops too. Of course, I prefer the famous shops as there is less risk of adulteration."
A shopkeeper who sells sweets on Rajpur Road said that the buyers should be alert to adulterated sweets. "They must opt such shops which are known for maintaining quality. Though I charge Rs 10 or so more for a piece of sweet item than the market rate I maintain the quality all through," he added.
A homemaker Anita Rawat said that earlier, boxes of sweets or dry fruits were gifted on the occasion of Deepawali. "But now, electronic appliances and gift vouchers are gaining precedence over the conventional items. As for me, I am for sticking to the tradition as well as adapting myself to the changing times. So I have purchased both sweets as well as electronic appliances to gifts my parents," she said.
Anil Goyal, a baker, said, "Diwali may be synonymous with sweets, but the fear of adulteration during the festival season is pushing consumers to switch over to bakery products