Heat and intermittent rain dampens hawkers as Navaratri shopping peaks

MT DOLL SALESWith a little over a week to go for the Navaratri festival, Mylapore’s North Mada Street has turned into a kolu dolls market as it always does at this time of the year. Buzzing to the sounds and cries of hawkers pushing their wares and shoppers taking a slow and good look at what they would like to buy.

Many are seen with either shopping lists or here seeking an image that is missing in their kolu decorations. The entire road, from the R K Mutt junction at Indian Bank end to Mangollai is now packed with hawkers’ stalls, some well fitted some of push carts, offering dolls of all kinds, colors and make.

They range in prices from Rs.60 to Rs.5000. Hawkers say prices are up from about 15% since last year and hard bargains are driven at every corner.

The climate though hasn’t helped made this a pleasant shopping season. The daytime temperature climbs to 36degrees and to add to the woes of the hawkers, it has been raining intermittently late evenings.