Roadside henna artists make hay

Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 16

A major chunk of business in the Jammu region related to religious and other festivities is being done by inter-state migrant workers.

One example is of ‘Karva Chauth’, a ritual of fasting by women for their husbands. The festivity is being observed tomorrow across the region that attracts women to various parlours to get their hands decorated with mehndi.

The cost for mehndi in a parlour is Rs 500 per hand while women from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, putting up at various nook and corners of the city, charge only Rs 100 per hand.

While many parlours have been deserted, women can be seen flocking to roadside traders at various corners to get their hands decorated with mehndi.

“Last year, it used to be Rs 200 per hand in a parlour, but the rise in the cost to Rs 500 is not affordable. Besides, women from outside the state on the roadsides are more versed with the art than local parlours,” said Shalini Sharma, a housewife at Rehari.

A parlour owner at Pacca Danga said fewer customers at their shops was due to roadside workers who generally hijack their business prospects on various festivities. “It is not only with mehndi, but on other occasions like Raksha Bandhan and Holi, workers bring a variety of items at lower rates which attract customers more,” she said.

A Rajasthani mehndi maker at Purani Mandi said she was a regular visitor to Jammu on various occasions with a variety of items and designer products which people loved to purchase.

“We do not overcharge for anything. We just want our business to flourish. Besides, art workers in our state are well-versed with creating attractive items from simpler methods which we sell here at nominal prices,” she said.