Sweet-shops do roaring business

VADODARA, Oct 19: Serpentine queues outside lavishly decorated sweet-shops in the city marked Dusshera celebrations in Vadodara. While almost all shops in Ellora Park and Subhanpura areas prominently displayed their specially packed sweet-boxes 8212; ranging from Rs 160 to Rs 375 8212; some enterprising shop-owners introduced several varieties of sweets to herald the culmination of the nine-day festival.

According to a shop-owner, the specially packed boxes freed customers from the trouble of choosing, besides saving their money. It was the Shakti sweet shop at Ellora Park which introduced special sweets like the kaju pan and kesari kaju katri on the occasion.

The festivities also marked the culmination of the Durga Puja. At several pandals women offered sindur to Goddess Kali before the idols were loaded into trucks for immersion.

While the North Indian Cultural Association burnt Ravan8217;s effigy at the Polo Ground to mark the occasion, the RSS Karyalaya at Kothi too observed the festival.