Mangaluru: The much loved festival of lights, Diwali or Deepavali is here and will be celebrated with traditional fervour across the country and here. The festival marks the triumph of light over darkness and the beginning of the Hindu new year. It is believed that on this day Rama the Hindu god had returned to Ayodhya after 14 years in exile, so in honour of his return people decorate their houses with earthen lamps and diyas and illuminate the sky with fireworks. The festive occasion is also marked with exchange of sweets and gifts with friends and relatives. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to street vendors, Diwali will be celebrated with cheers and new beginnings.
Yes, it’s once again that time of the year when Deepavali approaches closer vendors from Rajasthan and other North Indian states land up in Mangaluru to sell their trendy varieties of Diyas, terracotta lamps, etc to illuminate the houses of Mangalureans this diwali, including Ceramic Tulasi pots. Setting up a spot on the walkway near Karavali Utsav ground with an array of clay diyas to add extra flavour to the festival, Raju Prajapat along with his pal Siraj from Rajasthan are all geared up to make a brisk business during the Diwali. With just couple of diwali days left, these two guys want to sell their products at bargain rates when customers ask for it-rather than pack the items and ship them back to Rajasthan.
The diyas with various designs including Swastik, Om, Ganesh, floral motiffs and the like are very creative and attract attention of the passers by. A single diya costs around Rs 4-6, and if you buy dozen diyas it will cost you Rs 60-you can buy half a dozen or lesser number of lamps as per your requirement. Speaking to mangalorean.com, Raju said that this is his fourth consecutive year in the city to sell diyas- and he also has a small place near Central railway station where he sells these Diwali items. “We have our family members, relatives and friends sell diyas in almost every city of Karnataka including Bengaluru, Madikeri, Chikmagaluru, Hassan, Gulbarga, and other places. I always preferred Mangaluru, because I had good luck in my business here for the last two years. Business has been good since I had come down here and started selling the products two weeks ago”.
Apart from the normal small diyas, these street vendors have a good collection of wall pieces, ceramic tulsi pots, religious and hanging lights. Each hanging light costs Rs 20 to 30- Natural hand made hanging light requires a bulb to lighten the place, giving a typical look of ‘goodu deepa’. There are pure clay lamps as well as lamps painted with different colours. Raju and Siraj will be here in Mangaluru until Diwali ends and then they will go back to their hometown once their purpose is served.
So if you are looking for your last minute shopping of Diyas to brighten up your Deepavali, go see Raju and Siraj who are waiting for you with their products across from Karavali utsav ground. These two diya sellers are striving to eke out a living-so please patronize them and feel blessed that you helped couple vendors and their families make a living this festive season. Thank You, and Happy Diwali to all our readers from Team Mangalorean.