With hardly a week remaining for Christmas, Christian families are engrossed in decorating their houses to welcome Lord Jesus. People are shopping for decorations and preparing delicacies.

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Markets are decked up with colourful decors. The narrow bustling lanes of Teen Darwaza, which used to showcase and sell swastika marks and rangoli for Diwali, are now filled with Christmas products. Like every year, new products have entered the market. New varieties of huge decorative bells are ‘in’ this season.

A street vendor in Teen Darwaza, Rajubhai said, "These huge bells are available in different colours and are priced between Rs750 and Rs2,500 depending on their size. The best part is that the huge metallic bells can produce a sound.”

Shiny bells which can be used as wind chimes are also popular. Vendors have displayed huge shiny reindeers in their shops. “These reindeers, indicating the arrival of Santa, can be hung or pasted on the wall,” said another shop owner, Shabbirbhai at Teen Darwaza. Priced at Rs200, they are gaining in popularity.

A pack of small dolls of a shepherd, horse, angels, and other characters present during the birth of Christ is also available.However, shopkeepers feel the response is still lukewarm. “We have displayed these products just two days ago. Sales will pick up during the weekend,” said Manoj Soni, a shopkeeper at Lal Darwaza.

The shopkeepers also believe that election fever in the city may be the reason their sales are not picking up.