Deepavali shopping picks up on Gandhi Road; shops extend hours, police set up help desk

With Deepavali less than two weeks away, festival shopping has picked up across Rasipuram. Textile showrooms, sweet stalls, footwear and electronics shops on Gandhi Road and around the bus stand reported heavy footfall over the weekend, especially in the evenings. Many textile shops have extended their hours until 10 pm and are offering festival discounts on silk and cotton sarees, dhotis and children's wear. Sweet shops have started taking advance orders for gift boxes, with prices ranging from ₹350 to ₹1,200 per kilogram. Police have set up a help desk near the bus stand, deployed additional personnel at crowded junctions and installed temporary CCTV cameras. Shoppers are advised to keep wallets and phones secure and to park only in the designated areas. Under the festive traffic plan announced by the traffic police, four-wheelers will not be allowed into the bazaar lanes from 4 pm to 10 pm until Deepavali. Car parking has been arranged at the municipal school ground, and two-wheelers can be parked at the old shandy ground and near the bus stand.