Endless celebrations! 🎉✨ #Welcome2026

As proud Indians, to say the least, we are a fascinating people.

As the festival season reaches its peak and the year draws to a close, a celebratory mood prevails everywhere. From the bustling lanes of traditional markets to the glittering interiors of modern malls and supermarkets, both small towns and cities are witnessing a surge in shopping activity. Shoppers of all age groups can be seen browsing through stores that sell clothes, footwear, accessories, cosmetics, electronics, watches, and other furnishing items. The excitement is not particularly limited to youngsters, but to all age groups, come what may.

Live music performances, lucky draws, and other promotions have been drawing huge crowds, especially during evening hours. Food courts and restaurants are crowded with families and friends, offering a mix of shopping, dining, and entertainment.

Street markets, roadside vendors, and temporary stalls selling tea and snacks, as well as balloons, candles, fairy lights, and hats, have mushroomed near busy intersections. Flower markets are in increased demand while bakeries and confectioneries are flooded with orders for cakes, pastries, and desserts.

The marketers give you ‘free’ of this or ‘free’ of that every day in and day out. 

Jewellery Shops offer you ‘no making charges’ and also ‘Free Gold coin’ for purchases. Realtors take booking charges only for your chosen flats, and to pay in instalments, and arrange  ‘Free loans’ with a tie-up with Banks. ‘Free installation’ on purchase of Gadgets like AC, Washing machine. Fridge, etc., by Brand shops. When you purchase dishwashing powder, you get a scrubber–free !.

If you buy toothpaste, you either get 20% extra paste or a toothbrush – ‘free’. If you buy three soaps, you get an extra soap – ‘free’.

The pharmacy offers you a 20 to 60 per cent discount on medicines, which anyhow you buy

to live on.

Nobody understands this penchant of ours better than the marketers and their thick blood 'brothers'—the politicians.

One of our quaint traits is our being bound by ‘Free’dom. We want free ration, free education, free travel, free clothes, free houses, free electricity, free income (devoid of any taxes), free products, and ‘free’dom to ease ourselves – verbally and physically too – anytime and anywhere !. After all, ours is a ‘free’ country. We want freedom of speech and action too! We want to pee ‘freely’, and we want to pooh ‘freely’ !.

We have elections for the Gram Panchayat, municipalities, Assembly, and the Parliament. They are more than just a festival season; they are a crucial pillar of our democracy.

 During elections, you are given ‘free’ food, ‘free’ liquor, ‘free’ clothes and sometimes ‘free’ money too, albeit by taking away the freedom to vote for a candidate of your choice! After elections, you are bestowed with white goods like ‘free’ televisions, ‘free’ electric fans, ‘free’ bicycles/tricycles, ‘free’ food processors and

so on.

Despite repeatedly facing misfortunes such as flash floods, avalanches, bridge collapses, stampedes, landslides, explosions, rail crashes, cyber fraud, and even a tariff war, we have proven to be a resilient lot.

We have accepted, with a sense of calm, that politicians will behave in ways that may not always align with our expectations.

Despite the crowds and traffic, the mood across is upbeat, with a blend of modern lifestyle and traditional culture in full display, reflecting the dynamic and diverse character of the people.

It stands as a symbol of hope and renewal of a joyful beginning of Viksit Bharat and another New Year.

LET US WELCOME HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026.