NO TAKERS: With just a couple of days to go for Deepavali, stocks of crackers lying unsold at a stall in Banjara Hills due to incessant rain. - Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

HYDERABAD: The incessant rains that had the city completely drenched since Friday have also dampened the shopping frenzy that is witnessed during festival season.

The cracker stores in particular appear to be hit badly as they hardly had any customers since the stalls were set up yesterday. The stalls in different parts of the city wore a deserted look as disappointed owners waited for the rains to cease.

Whether it was the series of stalls set up at Lakdi-ka-pul, Banjara Hills or Ameerpet, the scene was the same and at several places, staff was seen making efforts to rainproof stalls with plastic sheets.

With the festival 72 hours away, there were expectations that sales would pick up on the weekend.

"We pray it does not rain on Sunday. If it does and continues on Monday as well, then we can't expect much sales," said a stall owner at Ameerpet. Almost all the shopping areas such as Abids, Ameerpet and Sultan Bazaar that bustle in the run up to Deepavali also wore a depressed look on Saturday afternoon. The apparel stores that dangled banners announcing the arrival of new stocks for the festival apart from offers and discounts too were empty as denizens preferred to postpone their shopping.

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