West Asia crisis-fuelled seller inflation fails to douse Vishu festival shopping spirit

Traffic moved slowly through the Chalai market in Thiruvananthapuram on the eve of Vishu as vehicles pushed through the crowd, and people moved from one shop to another. Two-wheelers and cars were parked on the sides of the road, and a few shops had extended onto the street, leaving little space for movement.

The morning hours in the market were spent setting up shops and arranging commodities for customers. By around 11 a.m., the heat had become strong, and many vendors sat in the open waiting for customers. Sellers said business was not as good as it was last year. A vendor from the Chalai market said the shortage of vegetables and the closure of some hotels due to cooking gas disruptions had affected sales. He added that many migrant workers in the market had left for holidays and elections in their native places, which also caused a significant setback.