Festive Cheer in the City

Begum Bazaar: Intricate ornaments, decorative bobbles, glitter-covered delicate hangings and more - sale of customised items for Christmas decorations has shot up in Begum Bazaar for a week now. Festive cheer is in full bloom and citizens are thronging wholesale and retail stores across the commercial stretch here in search of those perfect pieces for their homes.

Christmas trees, bells, Santa-shaped hangings, star-balloons, mistletoes, tinsels, and light stars are a few items extensively sold during the festive season. As the world lights up for Christmas, Hyderabad is not far behind in joining in the cheer. Many traders from across the city take decorative items from the Begum Bazaar market a month before the celebration.

Crimson gift boxes, ribbons, bows and ties rule the roost and ornamental Christmas trees are mostly sold items. Lighting is another major attraction and sale of customised decorative LEDs has spiked for the past two years; these lights are especially used on Christmas trees and in churches though a few homes are also opting for it now.

Wholesale traders in Begum Bazaar opine that sales will shoot up even more in the next few days though retailers from across the city started putting their bulk orders.

Rajendar, a wholesale trader in the area, said that most of the ornamental stuff was manufactured in Hyderabad and some items are imported from other States. “Some good items come from Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi and are very popular among people here. Christmas trees and LED lights are manufactured in the city itself,” he said.

Interestingly, wholesalers have also started selling Sankranti material in the market. Although the festival is on January 15 next year, Christmas and the kite festival are the biggest indication when celebrations transcend religious barriers, and everyone indulges in merry mood.