Keralites thronged markets, malls, and textile shops on Thursday in a feverish last-minute hunt for must-have items and bargains on the eve of Thiru Onam, the State’s most important festival.

The holiday spirit was particularly evident at the iconic Chalai Market in Thiruvananthapuram, Broadway in Kochi, and S.M. Street in Kozhikode. The tradition of Uthrada Pachil – the concluding shopping frenzy on the day before Thiru Onam – appeared to endure strongly across Kerala.