pune the huge surging crowds down the 6kmlong laxmi road a popular shopping hub in the city for clothes and jewellery is a fair indication that the festival of lights is set to be really bright for many a puneite this yearwith almost every company having declared huge diwali bonuses it is not a surprise that middleclass pune has loosened its pursestringsand heavier pockets of customers naturally means more laxmi for businessmendiwali business is booming this year it is 25 to 50 per cent higher than last year said abhay bamb president of garments and textile syndicate of laxmi road that has 125 shops in its fold and all this despite not having any discount sales or special schemes he saidthe diwali shopping this year started almost 15 days in advance though it picked up momentum in the last threefour days according to shopkeepers on laxmi road thanks to good rains in the region a large number of people from western maharashtra vidarbha and khandesh have descended on the city for diwali purchases according to them i have not seen such huge crowds on laxmi road in the last 15 to 20 years said fatechand ranka president of the pune saraf associationaccording to him business for most jewellers had increased by over 50 per cent compared to last diwalisince the marriage season will begin from november 23 many people may also be advancing their purchases to coincide with the auspicious period he saidin fact the huge crowds this year have prompted shopkeepers operating on the road to ask the pune municipal corporation permission for night shopping next year that is they plan to extend the closing time by two hours up to 11 pm like it happens in delhi according to bambnot just clothes and jewellery even the sales of gifts and greeting cards have jumped this yearaccording to nitin chaware vicepresident of pune cards gifts association greeting card sales in the city this diwali has gone up from last year by at least 20 per cent