It is that time of the year again when devotion meets dazzle. Pune is all lit up for Navratri. From sequined ghagras shimmering under shop lights on Laxmi Road to pop-up stalls crowding FC Road with oxidised jewellery, the city is a riot of colour, music, and mirror-work.Instagram feeds are bursting with “Nine Nights, Nine Looks” posts, as Punekars blend tradition with trend. Local markets buzz with shoppers, small traders, and designers, all ready to make every outfit count. With dandiya beats, glittering lehengas, and last-minute bargain calls filling every corner, the aura is electric.At Hire and Wear Dresses in Bibwewadi, the festive rush started weeks ago. “No one wants to wear the same ghagra twice,” says owner Deepali Angre, who tripled her stock this year. “Our rentals start from Rs 600–Rs 1,200 per night, and most customers book separate outfits for each day.”Across the city, rental studios are witnessing the same trend — Sayesha Design Studio (Thergaon), Arkule Costumes (Baner), Tip Top Drapery (Hadapsar), Sujata Dresses (Kasba Peth), Poshakwale (NIBM) and Rentsake (Baner) have stocked up on mirror-work skirts, embroidered blouses, and boho jewellery to keep up with the demand.Renting smart choiceFor students like Krisha Shah, renting is a smart and stylish choice. “It’s fun to experiment and get variety without spending a fortune,” she says. “I’ve booked four outfits this year and plan to mix and match jewellery.”The sentiment cuts across generations. “Every year I want something new, but I don’t want to store it,” says Nikita Jain, 35, a garba regular who plays at different events across the city. “It’s all about the excitement of dressing up — new colours, new styles, new looks every night.”Story continues below this adBut while some are renting, many others are happily splurging. Vinita Shah says she’s been shopping online since early September. “I ordered five outfits from different websites,” she says.“Each night has its own theme and vibe, so I wanted a different colour and style for every occasion. Dressing up is a big part of the fun — it makes the celebration feel complete.”Preeti Jain took her festive spirit a step further, travelling all the way to Gujarat to pick the perfect outfit. “I didn’t want something that everyone else in Pune would be wearing,” she says. “I also ordered a few accessories from Kutch, which specialises in traditional Navratri wear. It’s exclusive, vibrant, and worth the effort.”Others, like Sonal Rathod, went all out, spending Rs 27,000 on a designer outfit from Ahmedabad. “I wanted something that would stand out when I perform on stage,” she says. “Navratri comes once a year, and dressing up is half the joy of playing garba.”Story continues below this adFrom mirror-work skirts and digital-printed dupattas to neon blouses and handcrafted belts, every lane is bursting with colour. Tailors are working overtime, boutiques are rolling out fresh stock every few days, and courier deliveries of “last-minute looks” are arriving right up to dusk before the next night’s dance.And it is not just the clothes turning heads. The accessory game has levelled up too. “Last year, I sold 300 pairs of earrings in nine days. This time, I crossed 200 by the third night,” says Sakeena, who runs a roadside stall at M.G. Road. “Girls come with screenshots from Instagram and ask to match the look exactly — same colour, same shine.”Navratri biggest sale seasonAt Neeta Nx in Tulsi Baug, shopkeepers call Navratri their biggest sale season. From chunky oxidised chokers and mirror-work bangles to embellished kamarbandhs and shell anklets, everything is flying off the shelves.Meanwhile, online platforms are matching the street buzz. Instagram thrift pages and rental accounts are pushing “Navratri Lookbooks” with doorstep delivery, WhatsApp bookings, and instant UPI payments.Story continues below this ad“Earlier, customers came to Laxmi Road and bargained for hours,” smiles a shop owner. “Now they DM, pick, and pre-pay — it’s easier for both sides.”Even jewellery designers are getting creative. Vinita Soni, who runs the Instagram store Go Esthete, says she has already shipped more than a dozen orders to Pune.“We’ve launched a Navratri capsule collection,” she says. “Buyers want something that pops on reels, so we’re experimenting with neon mirror-work goggles, shell chokers, and lightweight fabric jewellery. It’s fun because every buyer wants to look unique — and Insta-ready.”Back on Laxmi Road, the shops stay open late into the night. A steady stream of buyers, arms full of colourful outfits, moves from one store to the next. Watching the crowd, one shopkeeper smiles as the sound of dhol echoes through the lane.“For us,” he says, adjusting a shimmering ghagra on display, “Navratri isn’t just a festival — it’s a season of joy, colour, and business. The nine nights may end, but the sparkle never really does.”Neha Rathod is an intern with The Indian Express