Festival treats: Sri (right) arranging various types of cookies and biscuits at his stall in preparation for the Deepavali festival on Thursday. — Bernama
KLANG: The low prices and variety of goods continue to attract the Hindu community to shop in Little India on Jalan Tengku Kelana here ahead of Deepavali, despite the growing trend of online shopping.
A walk around Little India in the past few days saw the area bustling with crowds, even in the sweltering heat.
Vendors eagerly offered the lowest prices to customers, while the lively beats of Tamil songs filled the air, energising shoppers to continue browsing.
Local businessman John Murugan, 63, said it had been a family routine for several years to shop in Klang due to the significantly lower prices, especially for clothing and other items, compared with places like Kuala Lumpur and Kota Baru.
The native of Kuala Krai, Kelantan, said he came to Little India with his wife, daughter and three other relatives to find the latest items there.
“Goods here are 30% to 50% cheaper compared with other areas. This might be due to Little India’s proximity to the country’s main port.
“We came from Kelantan in two cars for shopping, and they are both full because the items are genuinely inexpensive and I’m satisfied with the quality,” he said when met by Bernama yesterday.
Private sector worker M. Durghashini, 28, said Little India had been her main shopping destination since she started working in Kuala Lumpur several years ago, thanks to the array of beautiful and affordable sarees.
“Additionally, there are many traditional sweets, and I prefer to buy them in-store rather than online because I want to get the ‘feel’ of celebrating Deepavali,” she said.
Trader S. Sri, 48, said this year’s visitor turnout seemed less vibrant compared with previous years as younger people tend to shop online for cheaper goods and to avoid crowds.
“However, I believe that in the last few days leading up to Deepavali, there will be many making last-minute purchases,” he added.
Deepavali this year falls on Thursday.
