By IANS
New Delhi : From Chinese crackers decorating the shelves of firecracker shops to Feng Shui stores selling idols of goddess Lakshmi and Ganesha, Diwali — one of India’s biggest Hindu festivals — has been generously sprinkled with Chinese flavours this year.
Kriti creations, a shop in south Delhi’s Khan Market, is a typical Feng Shui shop. But idols of goddess Lakshmi – the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity who is worshipped during Diwali – sit pretty on the shelves of the store.
“Friday is the day of goddess Lakshmi and it’s a very auspicious occasion that this year Diwali will be celebrated on the very day. The items in my shop, like that of goddess Lakshmi channelising wealth into a plate, is just what Feng Shui symbolises – channelising positive energy,” said Mukesh Goyal, owner of the shop.
Similarly, another Feng Shui store in North Delhi’s Shakti Nagar area is busy selling Ganesha idols and other articles.
“One of the most popular Feng Shui items, the Shri Yantra, is the hottest selling item right now. It brings prosperity to the family and is kept during the time of puja,” said Tenzing, the owner of the store.
People are queuing up to buy the Shri Yantra, which is priced between Rs.101 and Rs.7000.
In Feng Shui, the colour orange stands for gold. That is why almost every Feng Shui item has a hint of orange and holds great meaning especially on Diwali.
Also, cracker shops are flooded with Chinese firecrackers. A tad bit smaller in size than their Indian counterparts and packed with glazed paper with the image of a Chinese dragon or Sumo wrestler, these crackers are a big hit.
“The thing is that people are enamoured by the foreign tag. Whether it’s the sparklers or the rocket bomb, if it has a Chinese tag people think it will be better,” said one of the shopkeepers in north Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar area.
Whatever be the case, Diwali has now come under Chinese influence for sure.