This Avurudu shopping season, the public saw photographs of the Pamunuwa shopping street in Maharagama bustling with crowds who came to do their final shopping before Avurudu. Having to spend last year’s Avurudu in lockdown, people had come out to the streets this time to do their seasonal shopping. Businessmen who usually do seasonal businesses too were affected by the pandemic.
With the rupee further depreciating against the US dollar, and the changes in the prices of goods while Sri Lanka’s Covid-19 situation is still far from over, The Morning spoke to vendors and customers in the Maharagama town and Pamunuwa about sales, the crowds visiting the town, the cost of living, and the Covid-19 situation.
Cost of living sky high
Inoka
40, Maharagama, garment factory supervisor
I bought groceries and clothes for Avurudu but everything is quite pricey compared to our economic status. We earn a daily wage and we depend on that. The cost of living is quite high. We did not buy as many goods as we bought for previous Avurudu seasons. It is quite hard to afford what’s in the market. This is a very crowded Avurudu. Compared to other times, shops and streets were overflowing with people. It did not look as though people were being safe and were following health guidelines. The concern among people about Covid-19 has drastically reduced. We came to Maharagama in the morning; there were so many people we couldn’t even go inside a shop. When the country is slowly recovering from the pandemic, people forget about it altogether. I don’t know whether it is because of the vaccine. I did not hear about any progress being made in the country’s Covid-19 situation after the vaccination drive.
Too soon to tell
Gunapala Fernando
60, Hunumulla, seasonal clay pot seller
We come to Maharagama to sell clay pots for the New Year in January and the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. It is too soon to tell if business is good for us. Clay pots usually get sold during the last two days before Avurudu. We brought our products for the 2020 new year but we couldn’t do the Sinhala Tamil New Year because of Covid-19. We didn’t have business this January because of the rain. It rained right on that day. If there was no rain, all our items would have been sold out. This time, people seem to be wearing masks and following health guidelines.
Sales have increased this time
Dunuwille
19, Arawwala, garment sale owner
We sell shirts and denims here. We have been doing this stall in Maharagama. This is my father’s business. We feel that business has increased quite a bit this year. We have a lot of business compared to regular times this time. We usually have this stall for the new year season and the Christmas season. We had more business this time compared to last Christmas. We have reduced the prices a bit because it is difficult for people with the impact of Covid-19. A lot of people are out shopping for Avurudu and it seems the crowd has increased this time. People also seemed to be following the health guidelines properly.
This year is better
Sooriyarachchi
60, Arawwala, artificial flower vendor
It’s been about 24 years since we started selling artificial flowers in the Maharagama market. My husband also brings down bananas for sale. Business is good this time. We didn’t have business because of Covid-19 last year. There was some business in December for Christmas, but it was not as good as this time. We sold a bit more Christmas trees than usual. It did not seem like it was too financially difficult for people to shop this time either. We did not have a lot of customers, but whoever came to our stall did buy from us. The crowd was less this time. Everyone wore masks. If someone doesn’t we ask them to put it on. We have been wearing masks since morning and we keep water to wash our hands. I didn’t get vaccinated, but it seems that the vaccine has reduced fear among people. Crowds move about more after the vaccination drive. I am healthy and well so I did not get vaccinated, but I take Ayurvedic medicine daily.
It is a good Avurudu
Lasantha
38, Maharagama, garment shop owner
We sell ready-made garments in the Pamunuwa market and business is good this time. People doing their Avurudu shopping purchased a lot of things; it did not seem as though there were too many economic difficulties. There were big crowds. This isle had large crowds in the morning, especially those who were out buying garments in bulk. People were being safe wearing their face masks and following health guidelines. I think business is good for everyone this Avurudu season and even for the public I feel that it is a good Avurudu. It makes us very happy.
People are less careful now
Meenu
39, Homagama, housewife and mother
We came to Pamunuwa to buy clothes for our children and relatives for Avurudu. Things were quite expensive this time so we did not buy things like we did the previous times. It is quite difficult with the cost of living. But there seems to be a lot of business this time because people did not get to celebrate the new year last time because of the pandemic. We don’t see as though people are being safe among all these crowds. We went to a shop and a boy coughed right to my face. Then we told him to put his mask on when coughing. What I saw is that people have stopped caring about the pandemic. They seem to be doing whatever they want, regardless of whether Covid-19 is at large. I don’t know whether it is because of the vaccine, but people are less careful now. People from shops and customers, everyone is careless. We even saw that some people had brought their small children here.
Pick-pocketers impacting on business
Nihal
52, Meegoda, Tailor and Garment sale owner
I am a tailor by profession, but I run a ready-made garment sale in Pamunuwa for shopping seasons. There is a lot of business this time. I would even say that there is too much business to a point where we can’t supply for the demand. But this Pamunuwa shopping street gets blocked and there are a lot of pick-pocketers here. This has impacted our business since people are scared of this. The Police make frequent announcements to warn the shoppers about this. I feel that there is a drop in the number of customers visiting here. We get a lot of people coming early in the morning. They come from far away areas to buy garments in bulk. The crowds are less at other times, and that’s when people from around Colombo come here. Since the country closed down last year, we could not sell anything we brought down. We suffered losses. But everything is fine this time. There is this shirt this time with a “yaka” mask – this is doing very well. Everyone is buying it and we have run out of stocks for certain sizes. The crowds are, of course, not being safe at all. Everyone has their masks on their chins. Social distancing is not maintained at all. People no longer care about Covid-19, in my opinion. It has become normalised, like a common cold.
Inoka
40, Maharagama, garment factory supervisor
I bought groceries and clothes for Avurudu but everything is quite pricey compared to our economic status. We earn a daily wage and we depend on that. The cost of living is quite high. We did not buy as many goods as we bought for previous Avurudu seasons. It is quite hard to afford what’s in the market. This is a very crowded Avurudu. Compared to other times, shops and streets were overflowing with people. It did not look as though people were being safe and were following health guidelines. The concern among people about Covid-19 has drastically reduced. We came to Maharagama in the morning; there were so many people we couldn’t even go inside a shop. When the country is slowly recovering from the pandemic, people forget about it altogether. I don’t know whether it is because of the vaccine. I did not hear about any progress being made in the country’s Covid-19 situation after the vaccination drive.
Too soon to tell
Gunapala Fernando
60, Hunumulla, seasonal clay pot seller
We come to Maharagama to sell clay pots for the New Year in January and the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. It is too soon to tell if business is good for us. Clay pots usually get sold during the last two days before Avurudu. We brought our products for the 2020 new year but we couldn’t do the Sinhala Tamil New Year because of Covid-19. We didn’t have business this January because of the rain. It rained right on that day. If there was no rain, all our items would have been sold out. This time, people seem to be wearing masks and following health guidelines.
Sales have increased this time
Dunuwille
19, Arawwala, garment sale owner
We sell shirts and denims here. We have been doing this stall in Maharagama. This is my father’s business. We feel that business has increased quite a bit this year. We have a lot of business compared to regular times this time. We usually have this stall for the new year season and the Christmas season. We had more business this time compared to last Christmas. We have reduced the prices a bit because it is difficult for people with the impact of Covid-19. A lot of people are out shopping for Avurudu and it seems the crowd has increased this time. People also seemed to be following the health guidelines properly.
This year is better
Sooriyarachchi
60, Arawwala, artificial flower vendor
It’s been about 24 years since we started selling artificial flowers in the Maharagama market. My husband also brings down bananas for sale. Business is good this time. We didn’t have business because of Covid-19 last year. There was some business in December for Christmas, but it was not as good as this time. We sold a bit more Christmas trees than usual. It did not seem like it was too financially difficult for people to shop this time either. We did not have a lot of customers, but whoever came to our stall did buy from us. The crowd was less this time. Everyone wore masks. If someone doesn’t we ask them to put it on. We have been wearing masks since morning and we keep water to wash our hands. I didn’t get vaccinated, but it seems that the vaccine has reduced fear among people. Crowds move about more after the vaccination drive. I am healthy and well so I did not get vaccinated, but I take Ayurvedic medicine daily.
It is a good Avurudu
Lasantha
38, Maharagama, garment shop owner
We sell ready-made garments in the Pamunuwa market and business is good this time. People doing their Avurudu shopping purchased a lot of things; it did not seem as though there were too many economic difficulties. There were big crowds. This isle had large crowds in the morning, especially those who were out buying garments in bulk. People were being safe wearing their face masks and following health guidelines. I think business is good for everyone this Avurudu season and even for the public I feel that it is a good Avurudu. It makes us very happy.
People are less careful now
Meenu
39, Homagama, housewife and mother
We came to Pamunuwa to buy clothes for our children and relatives for Avurudu. Things were quite expensive this time so we did not buy things like we did the previous times. It is quite difficult with the cost of living. But there seems to be a lot of business this time because people did not get to celebrate the new year last time because of the pandemic. We don’t see as though people are being safe among all these crowds. We went to a shop and a boy coughed right to my face. Then we told him to put his mask on when coughing. What I saw is that people have stopped caring about the pandemic. They seem to be doing whatever they want, regardless of whether Covid-19 is at large. I don’t know whether it is because of the vaccine, but people are less careful now. People from shops and customers, everyone is careless. We even saw that some people had brought their small children here.
Pick-pocketers impacting on business
Nihal
52, Meegoda, Tailor and Garment sale owner
I am a tailor by profession, but I run a ready-made garment sale in Pamunuwa for shopping seasons. There is a lot of business this time. I would even say that there is too much business to a point where we can’t supply for the demand. But this Pamunuwa shopping street gets blocked and there are a lot of pick-pocketers here. This has impacted our business since people are scared of this. The Police make frequent announcements to warn the shoppers about this. I feel that there is a drop in the number of customers visiting here. We get a lot of people coming early in the morning. They come from far away areas to buy garments in bulk. The crowds are less at other times, and that’s when people from around Colombo come here. Since the country closed down last year, we could not sell anything we brought down. We suffered losses. But everything is fine this time. There is this shirt this time with a “yaka” mask – this is doing very well. Everyone is buying it and we have run out of stocks for certain sizes. The crowds are, of course, not being safe at all. Everyone has their masks on their chins. Social distancing is not maintained at all. People no longer care about Covid-19, in my opinion. It has become normalised, like a common cold.