Markets across the city were packed with citizens making last-minute purchases of festive items and essential goods
Markets across the city were packed with citizens making last-minute purchases of festive items and essential goods. Mahadwar Road, one of the city’s busiest shopping hubs, remained heavily crowded throughout the day despite being declared a vehicle-free zone. Haphazard parking in and around market areas led to severe traffic congestion at several key locations. Roads leading to Mahadwar Road, Papachi Tikti, Bazaar Gate, Gangawesh, Chhatrapati Shivaji Chowk, Bindu Chowk, Mirajkar Tikti, Rajarampuri, and Shahupuri witnessed gridlock as shoppers arrived in large numbers. Prices of fruits, flowers, Laxmi Puja kits, clay lamps, and rangoli materials reportedly doubled on the eve of the festival. Several roadside vendors selling yellow and orange marigold flowers occupied a considerable portion of the roads, further adding to the traffic congestion.
Kolhapur : The city witnessed a huge rush of shoppers on Saturday, just a day ahead of Laxmi Puja. Sayali Chavan, a shopper purchasing a Laxmi Puja kit on Jyotiba Road, said, “Narak Chaturdashi and Laxmi Puja will be celebrated with great enthusiasm on Sunday.
However, this year, prices of clothes, faral, groceries, flowers, fruits, and almost every other essential item have increased by 10 to 30 per cent. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolhapur | Silver Rate in Kolhapur | Bank Holidays in Kolhapur | Public Holidays in Kolhapur Stay updated with the latest Kolhapur news. This will certainly strain household budgets in the second half of the month. With Diwali vacations underway, the city also witnessed an influx of tourists and devotees from different parts of the state and beyond. Popular tourist spots such as Rankala Lake, New Palace, Panhala Fort, and Siddhagiri Kaneri Math also drew a large number of visitors. Download the TOI App.
The revered Mahalaxmi Temple recorded heavy footfall on Saturday, with long queues of devotees stretching across the temple premises.