Women throng markets for applying henna

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 22

Karva Chauth falls on October 24 and the festivity flavour is being witnessed all over the city, especially in the major markets. The most crowded shops remain that of the sweet shops and the stalls of mehndi artists from where the girls and women are getting henna applied on their hands.

Majority of people in the markets were seen without masks but there were others too, who not only were wearing masks but were asking shopkeepers and mehndi artists to put-on masks while applying henna on their hands.

At leading sweet shops, no social distance was being maintained due to the huge rush of buyers. Salesmen were finding it difficult to attend to the customers and latter were seen arguing with them to call more helpers so that they (customers) could be free on time. Serpentine queues were witnessed on majority of roads while vehicles were witnessed jostling with each other to pass through the routes.

Outside majority of the shops in major markets like Ghumar Mandi, Model Town, BRS Nagar, Sarabha Nagar, etc. special tents and chairs were put outside for applying henna on the hands of women. Many of the newly married women were accompanied with their husbands, who had taken out time especially for their better halves. The artists have specially been called from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh as these are the best days for mehndi artists to get good returns.

“Today, they are asking for anything from Rs 500 per hand to Rs 2,100 per hand. And we cannot negotiate because other women are in queue to get henna applied on their hands. There is huge rush all over and we are paying whatever they are asking for,” said Ritu Malhotra, a girl, who got hitched recently and it is her first Karva Chauth fast for her fiancé.