Karva Chauth shopping goes online in a big way
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 29
Shopping for Karva Chauth has scaled new heights. Perhaps for the first time, the ritual of married women observing a fast for the long life of their husbands is witnessing heightened craze for online shopping. The commercial aspect of the occasion has reached such heights that barring applying of mehndi and eating out, all other items such as “thalis”, jewellery and designer clothes are available online, that too at competitive rates.
Websites are also offering gifts that husbands can offer to their better halves.
Traditionally, the ritual witnesses bedecked markets buzzing with shoppers. However, this time, many are opting for online shopping for Karva Chauth not just because of variety, but also due to heavy discounts being offered by the websites on a wide range of items. While the business of mehndi shopkeepers has not been affected due to the online shopping, the cost has increased by 30 to 35 per cent as compared to last year. Karva Chauth gift hampers are available online on a vast range of items, including dry fruits and “sargi”. Puja thalis are available in different shapes, styles and ranges, and can be bought with fresh flower petals. Chocolates for Karva Chauth have become a favourite, especially among youngsters and newlyweds.
Ridhi, an IT professional, said for the past five years, she had been fasting on the occasion and always found shopping on that day difficult. Traffic jams and varying costs of products in markets were a big headache for her due to which this time she opted for online shopping of thali, jewellery and designer clothes.
For Siya, huge discounts on Karva Chauth items online are an attraction. According to her, thalis that costs between Rs 900 and Rs 1,500 in the local market are available online between Rs 550 and Rs 1,000.
However, 50-year-old Sakshi Malhotra feels the significance of this festival, which celebrates the bond among couples, has been lost as it has been commercialised due to a race among youngsters for buying designer items.
A renowned sweets shop owner in Sector 8 said this year the demand for designer thalis had declined by 25 to 30 per cent as compared to last year and customers were only demanding eating stuff such as “sargi” and dry petha.
Rush for mehndi
City markets witnessed a huge rush of women for getting mehndi applied. The markets were flooded with mehndi artists, who made a quick buck. Price for art mehndi varied from Rs 150 per hand to as high as Rs 900, depending on the design. Interestingly, as the crowds surged, so did the rates of various items. By late evening, henna artists started charging Rs 1,000 per hand, and despite this there were enough customers. Hir care and skin care product manufacturing companies are offering discounts to woo women customers.
