Shah Jahan comes to Coimbatore every year for a day from Tirunelveli. From morning to late in the evening, he is on Raja Street selling metal bindi stamps (achu pottu) on the day of Koniamman temple car festival. “People here like these bindis and so the sales are good,” he says.
Salim and seven of his friends from Vellore come to Coimbatore every year for the car festival.
He sells rubber masks along with his friends.
The entire stretch of Raja Street wears a festive looks and was busy with activity from Wednesday morning. Though only a few of the regular shops on the street are open, Shah Jahan, Salim and hundreds of vendors have spread out goods on either side of the street and also in the by-lanes.
Many of them have come from nearby towns in Kerala, and other parts of Tamil Nadu. Some of them start the sales early in the morning.
From bangles, bindis, hair clips and handbags to toys for kids, balloons, wall posters and artificial flowers, the vendors spread out a wide variety of products.
Raju sells refrigerator stickers every day at Gandhipuram. On the car festival day he moves to Raja Street. There are good sales till 9pm or so, he says.
There are also vendors who bring goods from the northern States and those who sell food items.
