MARGAO
It’s that part of the year when all Saxtti roads lead to the commercial capital, and more particularly to Margao’s bustling New Market.
The reason is not far to seek. The traditional Christmas festivity is round the corner and Saxttikars in general keep a date with the New Market, where anything and everything is available under one roof.
While people come in droves to the New Market for their shopping requirements, the traders and shopkeepers too look forward for a good season.
In fact, don’t be surprised if you come across a New Market trader confessing that a good season during Christmas festivities means an overall good season.
And, with Covid cases on the decline, and the economy slowly opening, traders do hope to see a flood of Saxttikars patronising their stalls this Christmas season as well post-Covid pandemic.
In fact, many say that Saxttikars and the New Market enjoy a traditional bond and friendship down the generations. Business establishments may have come up around Saxtti countryside and online shopping the latest trend, especially amongst the new generation, but the over-century old New Market continues to be the favourite shopping destination for many a Saxttikar.
President of New Market Traders Association, Vinod Shirodkar is candid enough in admitting that a good Christmas season would mean a good season for the entire year. And, he made no bones of the fact that Saxttikars have been patronising the New Market over the decades.
In fact, he conceded that while the State economy suffered badly after the mining closure, the New Market remained afloat, courtesy support from the people of Salcete.
“We traders and customers from Salcete have been enjoying traditional bond and friendship. In fact, our relationship is not trader-customer, but more like a family,” Vinod said.
With the biggest festival less than a week away, almost every big and small traders out of the 560 traders are hoping to do good business in the season.
A visit to the New Market revealed that the hundreds, if not thousands of shoppers, have already been to the market for their requirements, right from buying groceries such as coconut and sugarcane jiggery, flour, ready-made garments, textiles, decorations, etc.
The textile and readymade garment lane in the New Market has also seen the return of customers ahead of the Christmas festivities this time round. With the textile and readymade garments business devastated during the Covid-19 pandemic, many a textile shop look forward for good business this season. Says Atik Banducda, a textile merchant, having a shop in the New Market.
“We have seen the return of our customers after two years of Covid-19 pandemic. We have done business this time round,” he added.
