Barabanki Gears Up for Karva Chauth as Festive Demand Rises

Barabanki is preparing for Karva Chauth with bustling markets and rising demand for festive goods. Women across the district are shopping for clothes, jewellery, bangles and puja items as the festival approaches, keeping bazaars busy well past dark.

The mehndi market in Laiya Mandi is among the busiest spots in the city. Long queues of women are waiting to get their hands decorated with attractive designs. Mehndi artists said that since the past three days, customers have been arriving from 10 a.m. to late at night. More than 100 women are getting mehndi every day.

Prices have also gone up. Mehndi that normally costs Rs 50 to Rs 100 per hand has become two to two-and-a-half times more expensive during the festival, depending on the design. However, the rise in prices has not discouraged women from getting mehndi.

In Dhanokhar, Nagar Palika Market and the sarafa bazaar at Ghantaghar, shoppers are purchasing sarees, salwar suits, gold chains, rings, silver anklets and bichhiya. Crowds are also visible at bangle and shringar stores, while shops selling puja material report higher demand for karva and related items.

Traders expect the festival to bring good sales.

Preeti said that women look forward to Karva Chauth as keenly as North Indians look forward to Chhath Puja. The festival is observed with prayers for a husband's long life and reflects faith and family traditions. Women fast without water through the day, perform puja in the evening, offer arghya to the moon, and break their fast by drinking water from their husband's hands.

A local resident said that preparations start early, from choosing mehndi designs to selecting clothes, jewellery and hairstyles. She added that just as Chhath is a major festival in Bihar, Karva Chauth holds similar importance across North India.