Traders make most of festive rush, eye better biz next year

Aurangabad: Residents celebrated Diwali by performing Laxmipujan with religious fervour and enthusiasm on Sunday. The markets reported brisk business on the third-day of the festival, with people thronging shops to buy Laxmi and Ganesha idols.
People decorated the entrance of their houses with lamps and rangolis before venturing out to burn crackers.Fireworks illuminated the moonlight sky as people greeted each other and exchanged sweets on the occassion.
As the time duration for Laxmipujan was only 1 hour and 35 minutes this year, all priests were pre-booked. The muhurt this year was between 6.46 pm to 8.22pm, said Swapnil Joshi, a priest.
"This is the time to celebrate the triumph of good over evil. The city witnessed heavy rush at the markets as devotees purchased fruits and flowers for the puja," said Ramesh Raut, a trader at Aurangpura market.
"We clean our houses before the festival and deck it up with lamps and lights," said Swati Chitnis adding that this year, we preferred to stay away from firecrackers and instead visited our neighbours to exchange greetings.
"Laxmipujan is performed for one's financial well-being," said another priest Amit Kulkarni.
"The past year has been volatile for businesses due to drought in the region. We hope to look beyond this gloom and expect that the next year will fare better," said Amit Shah, a businessman.