Festival celebrations peaked in the city on Thursday after the traditional ‘Uthradapachil’ witnessed huge crowds engaged in last minute shopping on the eve of ‘Thiruvonam’.
People flocked to Broadway, M.G. Road, D.H. Road and Rajendra Maidan as the shopping destinations in the city were swelling with crowds by afternoon. Police had tough time controlling the crowds at D.H. Road, Convent junction, Jew Street in Broadway and Jos Junction.
“Business started picking up from the morning and it peaked by afternoon. The situation was not bad when compared to the previous year as many came down to do last minute shopping,” said Mohammed Sageer of the Ernakulam Merchants’ Union.
Textile houses and outlets selling home appliances and electronic goods also recorded good business this festive season. Many dolled out impressive offers amid the competition from e-commerce companies. Street vendors reaped the lion’s share of the sales of textile items on Uthradam day after they offered readymade ware at reasonable rates. But “Uthradapachil’ was not evident at the vegetable retail outlets in Ernakulam market after stalls selling organic vegetables mushroomed across the city and its outskirts. “We have been hit badly this Onam as only a few turned up here to buy vegetables. It’s for the first time after long that the vegetable retailers had witnessed a dip in demand,” said N.H. Shameed of the Ernakulam Market Stall Owners' Association.
Festive mood soars in Thrikkakara
Thousands participated in the traditional ‘Uthradasadya’ held at the Thrikkakara temple, seat of the Onam legend on Thursday.
Thousands of people, drawn from different communities, participated in the rituals, festivities and cultural programmes. People also turned up in good numbers to watch the Pakalppooram held in the evening.
