It is that time of the year when one plans to make it to the home town to spend a couple of days with the family and celebrate Diwali the festival of lights together and enjoy family companionship. In the recent past Diwali holidays are also being utilized as the best time for a family holiday somewhere away from regular life.
But for a city like Belgaum it is the people away from home who come in to meet and spend time with their loved ones. But coming here is not easy. Trains are full even when we try to book 60 days in advance and the last resort the private bus operators and as usual they hike Fares to cash in. The same has happened this year again some private bus operators have hiked the bus fares. Some tickets are even priced at Rs.850 or even 1000 to Bangalore. Not all operators have hiked but a few have done it. The best way is to leave a special bus with special fare, so there is no comparison you can make as the operator say this is special bus. So people trying to come in you can face a hard time. Many prefer to drive from Mumbai and Bangalore instead of paying huge fares. Anyways welcome home!
The business district of the city has been kept busy for over a week now with people shopping for clothes, groceries, decorative lamps, gifts and of course clothes. This time not many new showrooms have opened up, to mention a couple in mind would be the Fabindia store on Congress Road and a few of the upper class brand stores on Civil Hospital road like Globla Desi, Wills Lifestyle.
Diwali Lanterns of different sizes and shapes are in the market and most of them are Chinese. The original or ancient octagonal lamp made of bamboo sticks is hardly seen and the cost of one ranges anywhere from Rs.150 to 450.
Making fort replicas is again a work the kids love to make and many make huge replicas of Fort during Diwali time.
Sweets and savories the integral part of Diwali has been terribly hit by a price hike and prices of sweets have increased.
What to do this Diwali some suggestions:
Try not to use those high decibel sound making crackers and it would be best to avoid crackers.
You could make some one’s life happier by donating to various destitute homes, orphanages, old age homes like Karunalaya, Shantivrudhshram, Mahaveshwari school of blind, Aadhar to mention a few. (see NGO list)
At the end have a safe and Happy Diwali! May your life be filled with colors and joy.
Wishing all the people a very happy Deepavali. May this year be full of peace, brotherhood and prosperity for all the people.
Wish the AAB team a happy Deepavali. I Request the AAB to send photographs of Killa made in Belgaum city by the people in front of the houses ,which is a usual belgaum tradition.
Dear AAB team wish you av very very happy Diwali.
A very happy deepavali to ABB and his team and let belgaum prosper as no other city.
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