Shops, bazaars come alive in festive preparation
THE Hari Raya Aidilfitri shopping rush is in full swing in Kuala Lumpur as residents and visitors alike see what’s on offer for the festive celebration.
Traffic around the Masjid India area remains heavy from morning until midnight with shoppers making their way to the annual bazaar in Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman.
Traffic police and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) enforcement officers can be seen patrolling, and helping manage the flow of both vehicles and pedestrians.
Within this hub of culture and shopping, promotional announcements blare from loudspeakers at brick-and-mortar stores, while Hari Raya songs playing at various stalls add to the festive mood.
Inside the bazaar, stalls selling traditional attire including baju melayu paired with sampin, kurta, baju kurung, headscarves and headgear like songkok draw steady crowds eager to check out the latest designs.
Parents help children with the fit, visitors hold items up to themselves to check colours and style, sellers are asked about sizes and prices – making for a loud and vibrant shopping experience.
Then there are the accoutrements of the festive season: duit raya packets to be given to relatives as well as fairy lights and other decorations that make houses a welcoming home for friends and family.
Traders selling festive treats are also kept busy, with favourites such as semperit, pineapple tarts and batang buruk selling briskly.
Meanwhile, festive dishes such as lemang and ketupat alongside the accompanying rendang and serunding seem to be sold out in the blink of an eye.
A trader setting up a variety of Hari Raya cookies for sale (below) while two visitors are seen browsing for ‘sampul raya’ at the bazaar in Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman, a hub of Hari Raya shopping in Kuala Lumpur. — Photos: KAMARUL ARIFFFIN, MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI, AZHAR MAHFOF and AZMAN GHANI/The Star
Parents helping their sons during songkok-shopping.
A couple looking at a ‘sampin’ design in Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman.
Masjid India turns into a hub of culture and shopping in the run-up to Hari Raya Aidilfitri, with brick-and-mortar stores and pop-up stalls selling almost everything anyone could need for a vibrant festive celebration.
A woman checking out clothes with beaded details.
Two women picking up ‘serunding’, which pairs well with ‘lemang’ (in the foreground) during the festive period.
