mumbai weekend shopping is expected to gather pace ahead of holi on march 7 colourful holi milan programmes are scheduled to unfold over saturdaysunday so that large family groups can gatherthe shekhawati yuva manch which is run by the close knit marwari community has organised a fivehour long faganiya dhamaal at a hall in malad on march 4 coorganiser pt bharat bhushan mishra said this is the 18th year of our holi festivity we will sing and dance to the beat of the dhap and melody of the flute and feast on traditional marwari delicacies this is our attempt to connect migrant rajasthanis to the soil music culture and language of our motherlandonline white garments are selling briskly indicating that revellers intend to step out to play holi meanwhile stores selling abir gulal and pichkaris are expecting robust sales especially the wholesale traders of crawford market and masjid bunder brothers karan and jignesh ganatra of masjid bunder manufacture their own rang barse brand of nontoxic organic colours karan laughed and said when buyers ask how they can tell if our products are safe we actually eat our colour to prove it to them they are flabbergasted but do believe that if we can eat them their children and families can at least apply them safely while regular colours sell for rs 100110 per kg the ganatras wares are priced rs 380sweetmeat shops are busy taking orders for gujiya and gear the large sindhistyle jalebi that is a bestseller thandai is visible too albeit the bhang version is sold surreptitiously by local dairiesholi is a big festival for the sindhi community residents of the western suburbs patronise tharu sweets at khar pali road owner khushal tharu said plain gear costs rs 1200 per kg while chandrakala and pragri are rs 1400 it is true that rates have increased but our input costs of milk ghee fuel and other items have risen manifold too irrespective of price though customers line up to buy because holi is an important festivalanother sindhi holi hub is jhama in chembur owner vicky lulla said that gear rs 680 pragri rs 720 chandrakala rs 800 and gujiya rs 800 remain favourite buysover in ulhasnagar vicky jaisinghani of a1 sweets says they have been innovating and experimenting with variations like chocolate gear and gujiya which cost rs 500 per kg thandai barfi rs 740 and thandai kaju katli rs 1100 regular gear costs rs 320 per kg and the one made in ghee rs 600 varieties of chandrakala rs 420600 pragri rs 600 and gujiya rs 440 are bestsellers at a1 which is one of the largest sweetmeat manufacturers in kalyanulhasnagarin dadar damodar mithaiwala is preparing to layer the shelves with gujiya rs 820 while chandu halwai is offering ghevar and chandrakala both priced rs 1000