Mysore/Mysuru: With Dasara festivities to be inaugurated on Monday, street hawkers selling balloons, plastic toys and other articles have arrived in city from various parts of the country.

These vendors are seen displaying their colourful collections around the Mysore Palace, Exhibition Grounds, Mysuru Zoo, Chamundi Hill, Millennium Circle, JK Grounds, Bus Stands, Sayyaji Rao Road, D. Devaraja Urs Road and other places frequented by tourists.

Dasara festival not only attracts lakhs of tourists but also creates job opportunities for  hoteliers, traders, shopkeepers, taxi, auto and cab operators including hundreds of street vendors.

Many balloon sellers have arrived in city as it is during Dasara they can make some fast bucks before moving to other places. But these vendors were unable to do business since last two years due to COVID.

One of the balloon sellers told Star of Mysore that he along with other vendors have been coming to city during Dasara since 10 years, but did not come last two years. However, this year we have come well in advance.

Over 200 balloon sellers and other hawkers have arrived along with their families and have stayed put in city. “We have brought the raw materials from Delhi and preparing the finished products here” a vendor said and added that “as Mysuru Police have banned the sale and use of tutturi (small trumpet-like wind instrument), we are not selling that item and we have also informed other sellers not to sell the banned item which creates a lot of noise pollution.”