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Chennai Shoppers Brave Crowds for Last-Minute Diwali Purchases
12 Oct
Summary
- Shoppers swarm Chennai markets for Diwali shopping
- Ranganathan Street packed with people from across the city
- Police make elaborate arrangements to monitor the crowds
On October 12, 2025, a week ahead of Diwali, Chennai's shopping areas were bustling with festive frenzy. Shoppers swarmed popular markets like T Nagar, Purasawalkam, Chromepet, and Washermenpet, hunting for sarees, sweets, and appliances amidst blaring loudspeakers and blinking fairy lights.
The iconic Ranganathan Street was particularly jam-packed, with people arriving from different parts of the city to make their Diwali purchases. According to the T Nagar deputy commissioner of police, the festival crowd started thronging the area from the previous Saturday. While last week saw fewer footfalls due to people celebrating Ayudha Pooja in their hometowns, this week witnessed a heavy influx of shoppers.
To manage the crowds, the T Nagar police made elaborate arrangements, including setting up 8 watch towers and 155 CCTV cameras for increased surveillance. A control room was also established at the Mambalam police station, and a public addressing system was used to ensure no particular area became overcrowded.
Despite the preparations, some shoppers faced challenges, such as the heavy traffic congestion on the GST Road near Chromepet, where at least 1,000 vehicles were stuck with no police presence in the vicinity. Overall, the Diwali business in Chennai appears to have picked up early this year, with the textile industry reporting a strong start to the season.
