VIRUDHUNAGAR: Motorists are used to seeing small eateries dotting highway stretches. For the last ten days, scores of cracker stalls have come up along the 25-km stretch between Virudhunagar and Sattur as traders hope to cash in on the bustling traffic particularly at night, ahead of Deepavali. All the stalls have been inspected by police and fire safety department and issued licence. With families of shop owners working in shifts, the sale continues on a 24x7 basis turning the highway into a festival corridor, drawing motorists to stop by for a quick break and purchase fireworks.
At night, the shops come alive with golden fairy lights draping across their walls and framing their entrances. Nearby trees sport a green glow, creating a festive spectacle. "Each outlet competes to outshine the other, not just with fireworks but with how we present ourselves to customers," said K Karuppasamy (27), a trader in Etturvattam. To manage the heavy evening-to-early morning footfall, he and his brother work in shifts.
D Ranganath (39) from Ambattur, who was returning from Tirunelveli around 12:30 am, said, "Buying crackers wasn't on my mind, but my children insisted after seeing the lights. I ended up spending Rs 3,000," he said.
Traders said people returning after the Pooja holidays over the weekend, the longest break before Deepavali, formed the bulk of customers. "On Saturday and Sunday nights, shops were packed with buyers from Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari, many returning to work in other districts and states. Sales doubled, with each customer spending between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 on average," said the proprietor of Shri Garuda Crackers.