Team India T20 triumph sparks bonanza for cracker-sellers

Varanasi, Sep 25 (UNI) The epoch-making T20 title triumph of M S Dhoni's lions last night triggered unlimited colourful flares and resonance of big-bang crackers in the holy city, sparking an unexpected bonanza for fire work sellers.

Despite incessant rains lashing the city and high velocity winds the city cutting across religious lines indulged in a night-full of celebrations marked by colourful flares lighting up the skies and crackers marking the India's historic triumph at the World Cup of the shortest version of the game.

''The demand for crackers and colourful flares is generally non-existent at this time of the year, with only a few buying them for the Ganesh Puja celebrations. But, India's unexpected entry into the semi-finals of the tourney triggered an unexpected shopping spree for crackers in the city,'' Mohd zubair, one of the cracker-sellers of the Dalmandi locality said.

''During the three days between India-Australia semi-final clash and the grand finale at Johannesburg, an estimated Rs five lakh worth of crackers and flares have been sold by the six licensed cracker-sellers in the Muslim dominated Chattatale and Dalmandi areas,'' claimed Mohd Javed, another wholesale dealer in crackers.

The cracker-buying spree was most palpable yesterday. Right from the morning till an hour before the summit clash between the two arch-rivals from South Asia, an unending influx of shoppers from all age groups was reported at their shops, he added.

''Team India's historic triumph in South Africa has produced an unforgettable Deepawali for Muslim cracker-sellers in the auspicious month of Ramzaan,'' Javed added.

The cracker-sellers moved by the nationalist fervour even distributed crackers for free in areas where children could not shell out much money to register their participation in the overnight celebrations, he claimed.

''Inshallah I hope T20 World Cup becomes an annual feature which is won by India everytime,'' he added.

UNI