(BSS) - Sharadiya Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the country`s Hindu community, will begin on September 28.

Currently, preparations for the festival are underway across the country.

In addition to decorating idols, the city`s clothing markets are bustling with festival-focused activity as sellers report brisk sales compared to last year.

Fashion houses and leading brands including Aarong, Infinity, Le Reve, Yellow, Bishwarang, Anjans, Gentle Park and Desi Dosh have launched special Puja collections, while many outlets are offering festive discounts.

Women`s collections feature Jamdani, Katan, silk, cotton, Tant and embroidered sarees, along with three-pieces and lehengas in vibrant colors.

For men, shops are offering dhotis, short panjabis, shirts, t-shirts, pants and trousers, while children`s wear and footwear outlets are also drawing crowds.

In Bashundhara Shopping Mall, this correspondent found that shopping is going on in the children`s shops on the ground floor while some people were buying sarees, some punjabi, and some buying shoes on other floors.

Almost everyone had shopping bags in their hands. The presence of buyers was noticeable in every shop.

Polly Sarkar, from Narinda in Old Dhaka, has come to Bashundhara Shopping Mall to shop for the Puja for her family.

She said, she bought a saree for herself, tops and three-pieces for her daughter and a punjabi for her son. Now she has to shop for her in-laws, parents and close relatives.

Another buyer, Dr. Sourav Sarkar, lives in Kalabagan in the capital. This time he will go to her village home in Pabna for the Puja, so he bought clothes for everyone in the family.

He said, "I have bought a saree for my mother, a punjabi and shoes for my father. I still have to buy clothes for my relatives."

Azizul Hakim, a seller, said that this time the sales are a little better than last time.

Sohel Rana, a salesman at Aarong in Bashundhara Shopping Mall, said, "Our sales are going well. 80 percent of the buyers who came today came to buy on the occasion of Puja."

Meanwhile, most of the saree vendors in New Market, Dhanmondi Hawkers Market, Khilgaon Taltala Market, Mouchak Market, Chandni Chowk and Gauchia are spending their time trying to accommodate the buyers.

Talking to the shopkeepers and buyers, it was learned that the demand for women`s sarees and salwar-kameez is high in this Puja market.

Buyers are more interested in sarees made of cotton, georgette, silk and embroidery. Tangail`s Tant and Jamdani sarees are also in high demand.

Kawsar, owner of `Noni Saree Ghar`, a market in Dhanmondi Hawkers Market, said that this year`s Puja market is seeing a high demand for women`s silk, Tant and Jamdani sarees. This year, buying and selling is better than in previous years, he said.

Sales are also booming in the imitation jewellery shops of New Market. Women are buying bangles, necklaces, rings and various other ornaments to match their clothes. Shopkeepers said that along with clothes, selling of women`s jewellery, vermilion, bangles and other accessories are also going well.

E-commerce platforms are also riding the Puja wave, offering promotions, customized designs and home delivery services. Traders said online sales are complementing physical store purchases, making this season especially lively.

This year`s Sharadiya Durga Puja will run from September 28 to October 2, with preparations underway across the country.