Udaipur is all set to welcome Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha this Diwali. Markets are all packed and lanes and circles are illuminated with colorful lights and ribbons. It seems as if a carnival is going on in the city, in which people from all walks of life have come together to enjoy the festivities.

Diwali is considered to be the most auspicious time of the year to purchase all essential items like electronics, automobiles, clothes, jewelry etc. It looks like all Udaipurites are out for shopping, which gives a true feel of the festival. All markets from Bapu Bazaar, Bada Bazaar, Ashwini Bazaar, Clock Tower, Lakshmi temple, Hathi Pol, Maldas Street are jam packed with shoppers and commuters.

Markets and shops are also ready to serve the demand of the consumers. All shops have been cleaned and decorated. Sweet shops have made special preparations to meet the rising demand and outside the shops they have made special stalls displaying sweets and other delicacies.

The most important element of Diwali is lighting of the lamps or diya’s and bursting fire crackers. With time there have been several changes in the type and sizes of diya’s, now-a-days together with traditional oil diya’s, Wax  Diya’s are also available and are widely used. This time one can see a large number of vendors on the street which have laid down their elaborate shops on the roads selling various kinds of colorful and beautiful diya’s and candles.

Another major attraction during this Diwali season is the firecracker shops which are overloaded with various types and variety of crackers. For the security and safety of the people of Udaipur, local administration has made arrangements for special temporary cracker market at Pooja Park, Hiran Magri Sec-4 and outside Luv Kush Stadium, Chetak Circle. For this purpose temporary licenses have also been issued to the shopkeepers for seven days.

Wall hangings, Chinese lights and other decorative items are also very popular this Diwali. There are many shops which offer a large variety of decorative items for household as well as office purpose. Small and beautiful footprints of Goddess Laksmi are also available in abundance in various sizes and attractive designs in the market.

Special decorations are done at various markets and shops which are not only attracting tourists but locals also move about in the city just to witness the exotic and striking decorations. Every year chamber of commerce organizes a competition among the best decorated markets that include Bapu Bazaar, Ashwini Bazaar, Hati Pol etc. The competition starts from Dhanteras and continues till Diwali. On Diwali evening the results are declared and the best decorated market is awarded the winning trophy. From about past 20 years Chamber of Commerce is organizing this competition and this year is no exception. The competition it is planned to start from tomorrow.

There is another very important event that takes place every year in Udaipur that is the Deepawali-Dusshera Mela at Town Hall, by Nagar Parishad. This year it started on 28^th October. In this fair one can find all kinds of shops and stalls for shopping, there are swings and games for children and many stalls of eatables. The evenings are dedicated to cultural nights and performances. Many famous celebrities are invited to perform at the evenings. This is a very popular event and is a grand success every year. This year also celebrities like Singer Anuradha Podwal and famous standup Comedian Raju Shrivastva have performed at the fete.  Today is the Punjabi Night by Mika and Group. This adds a special pinch to the Diwali celebration in Udaipur.

Udaipur appears like a newly wedded bride – beautiful, energetic, elegant and attractive this Diwali. This is indeed a sight to behold. So people go and get yourself engrossed in the celebrations.