New clothes before Puja are close to obligatory, and a very large share of Kolkata’s retail year is compressed into the six weeks before Shashthi. Gariahat and Hatibagan become impassable. The saree houses, the department stores, the pavement stalls and the online sellers all make their year in this window.
The names
Places, pujas and people, with what each one is| Name | Where | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Gariahat | south Kolkata | The heaviest Puja shopping in the city; the pavement and the shops both. |
| Hatibagan | north Kolkata | The northern equivalent, equally crowded. |
| New Market1874 | Lindsay Street | Clothes, gifting and the old market trade. |
| Adi Dhakeshwari Bastralaya1926 | Gariahat | Bengal handloom; book fittings early. |
| Adi Mohini Mohan Kanjilal1919 | Gariahat and city-wide | Sarees in depth. |
| Biswa Bangla2014 | Dakshinapan, Park Street | State handloom with reliable provenance. |
| Dakshinapan1980s | Dhakuria | The state emporia complex; calmer than Gariahat. |
| South City Mall2008 | Prince Anwar Shah Road | The mall option, air-conditioned and equally crowded. |
| Quest Mall2013 | Syed Amir Ali Avenue | The premium mall. |
| Bowbazar jewellers | Bowbazar | Gold buying peaks before Puja. |
| Burrabazar | central Kolkata | Where the retailers themselves buy, from August onward. |
Worth knowing
- Start in August. By mid-September Gariahat is unmanageable.
- Tailoring needs three to four weeks of lead time in season, sometimes more.
- The pavement sells the same weaves as the shops behind it, cheaper.
- Dakshinapan and the malls are the calm alternatives to Gariahat.
- Gold buying peaks in the fortnight before Puja.
More on Durga Puja
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