DIWALI SPECIAL: Everything you need to know about Diwali in Mumbai- Part 1

You know it’s Diwali when you are woken up at 5 a.m. due to a rogue firework and even though you are completely against any kind of thing that makes loud noises and emits noxious gases, you are happy, because Diwali is here isn’t it?Hearing the sizzle of the oil in the kitchen, knowing that your mother is whipping up her trademark gujiyas, mathri and chaklis.

But the one constant reminder of upcoming festivals are our everyday bazaars! From clothes to utensils and jewellery to furniture, everything undergoes a rapid change as the festive season approaches! Markets get livelier, customers increase by numbers, discounts become heavier and hagglers prowl for good bargains. And even though markets arte dusty, sweaty, full of people and noise, to be a part of that crowd makes you feel more involved in the festival. And that is exactly what we set out to do this Diwali. The plan was to soak in, in the festival fervor of the pre-Diwali shopping and interact with everyone out there.

Lantern shopping or Kandilas it is traditionally known is one of the first things on every shopper’s mind. Everyone wants the prettiest kandils in the latest designs. After all, the house with the best lights is always admired by the neighbours. Lohar Chawl in Mumbai is famous for its vast array of lanterns and that’s where the maximum number of shoppers go besides Bhuleshwar and Kandil Gali in Dadar.

Photograph: Umang Sampat

Shoppers bustling everywhere and shopkeepers shouting out and selling their wares, Lohar Chawl is definitely a busy place during Diwali. Walking up to a store where a lot of customers had flocked around, we had a nice little chat with Mr. J.P. Jayprakash who has been in the business of selling Kandils for the past 8 years. Mr. Jayprakash gave us a little insight into Kandil making and told us that he sold mobile covers when he wasn’t busy selling lanterns in Diwali. We trudged forward to the Crawford Market.

Photograph: Umang Sampat

Crawford Market has the reputation of having everything you could possibly need. The crowd is pretty dense in Crawford market, it always is, even when there are no festivals around the corner. The streets are full with ladies looking for the perfect stencil for rangolis and shoppers looking for the best painted diyas and small lamps. We talked to a few shoppers who told us that their children were adamant on making the rangolis for this Diwali and told us that Crawford Market was the best place to shop for all kinds of Diwali goodies!

• About the Author

About Pratiksha Acharya

Pratiksha is tolerating her progress into adulthood with great difficulty. A bookworm to the core, she loves reading and debating. When her head is not stuck in a book, she likes to cook, dance and shop. For her, reading is more than a hobby. P.S.- She hates losing out on arguments.