Markets Cash-in on Festive Craze

Time belongs to Women’s Cadre, all it’s “Karva Chauth"

Markets Cash-in on Festive Craze

Yash Khajuria
Jammu, Oct 29:

Call it the Saas-Bahu soap opera effect or plain commercialisation of a tradition, the fact of the matter is Karva Chauth, a festival in which married women fast for their husbands’ long lives, has become a shopkeeper’s delight.

With the festival falling on Friday, the shops in the city have stocked up the items related directly or indirectly with Karva Chauth rituals, hoping to cash-in on the religious sentiments by offering discounts and packages. With just three days remaining, the markets are abuzz with women, often accompanied by their husbands, buying sarees and jewellery to customised gifts for the festival.

A specially designed thali (plate) with dry fruits and items for rituals attracted most customers. Shops selling items from flowers and perfumes to cosmetics are also doing brisk business.

With Stone – Jarkan work Leads the market parallel in Clothing and Ornaments, The festival turned expensive for husbands who can be seen ‘paying the price’ - by cash and credit cards – for their wives Jewelry or designer Suits and Sarees made famous by the actors in the numerous soap operas.

Rajiv, a shopkeeper at Pakka Danga, said, “This season, the metallic bangles are a rage with women. Silver metal bangles, studded with colourful stones, are also much in demand. But above all most women buy the combination of Stone – Jarkan bangles which look like the wedding bracelet chura from a distance.”

The henna artists, too, are having a field day. Setting up their makeshift stalls comprising a few small chairs and a henna design book outside the bigger shops, the artists charge anything from Rs 30 for putting mehendi on the palm of one hand to Rs 300 for both hands and the feet.

“This is the only time of the year when we make good money,” said Ravi Kumar, a 14-year-old mehendiwala who has set his stall in Raghunath Bazar.

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The for-the-love-of-Karwa-Chauth type:

With yet-to-be-married Shalini and her four cousins Karva Chauth is a must-fast day. “I have been keeping the fast since I was in the 11th standard. It’s the same with four of my cousins. It’s not like we keep it for someone. We just love the Karva Chauth shopping and the mehndi. Of course the spirit of the festival is incomplete without the fast. So we have been observing it religiously since we were kids.”

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The till-death-do-us-apart types:

Newly Wedded of just two months Manju Sharma and Rakesh Sharma got married this August. While they never fasted earlier, they plan to fast together from this year on. Rakesh is currently at New Delhi, but both of them will observe the fast at their respective locations. Manju says, “We plan to break the fast during online chat on facebook.”

Well, Vishal and his girlfriend Aarti are not married but they have been fasting for each other for the past two years. Vishal says, “This is our way of showing love for each other.”