Surtis queue up early for fafda-jalebi on Dussehra

Surat: Before the evening Ravan Dahan, Surti residents began their Dussehra celebrations with the city's favourite festive snacks – fafda and jalebi. At most popular shops, stocks were sold out by noon, with queues forming from the early hours on Thursday. Many shops had taken advance orders a day before and arranged early deliveries to manage the overwhelming demand.Residents reported long waits. Ashvin Patel, a Nanpura resident, said, "I visited three shops in Athwalines and Adajan at 6:30am to buy fafda, but the queues were already long. I came back around 10:30am, and the line was still there."Some vendors set up temporary kitchens in rented halls to meet the high demand. Mukesh Thakkar of Jalaram Dairy said, "Fafda making continued through the night. Pure ghee jalebi also has huge demand, so we made a separate setup. I kept updating customers about remaining stock so they wouldn't be disappointed."The massive crowds and parked vehicles caused traffic jams at several spots, prompting shops to deploy security guards. At Jalaram Farsan, Adajan, Narendra Thakkar said, "I opened at 5am, and 50 people were already in line. I didn't go home and worked continuously to fulfil orders."Fafda, a crisp thin strip of ganthiya, requires expertise in preparation and spices, which keeps customers returning year after year. Despite expectations of a price drop, fafda continued at Rs 500 per kg this Dussehra.