Bangles Seller Over The Moon As Eid Shopping Reaches To Peak In KP

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Apr, 2024) Defeating poverty with share willpower and inner strength, Ms Jasehat Bibi (48)-a poor bangles seller is all smile after earning a quick buck in the lucrative market of Peshawar where many hands are forwarded for decoration of colorful and shimmering designs.

Decorating customers' hands with henna tattoos and shimmering bangles at Meena bazzar opposite historic Qissa Khwani bazar flooded with shoppers on Sunday, Ms Jasehat did not lose hope after untimely death of her husband, and has jumped into the bangles and henna tattoos business that brought her laurels.

"The relatives abandoned me after my husband fell prey to blood cancer, leaving me with no viable option except to enter the cost-efficient bangles and tattoos business in 2010," she told APP.

Selling her two tola jewelry to hire a shop on rent before entering the painsticking business, she said with each passing day her profit increased and today she was living a dignified life.

Associated with the bangle business for the last 14 years to support her children, she was now satisfied after completing education and marriages of their loved ones.

She has imported shiny crystals bangels and henna tattoos from Lahore due to its quality and affordable prices compare in local market as special Eid offer.

"Eidul Fitr has brought boom to bangles and henna business in Peshawar," she said, adding prices of bangles depend on shineness and shimmering designs.

In Peshawar, the outlets of traditional bangles and henna were flooded with girls and women where special stalls in shopping centres and markets were established that would open till Chand Raat.

The exchange of bangles and henna as special gifts among the girls on Eidul Fitr is an old tradition of the sub-continent especially in Peshawar where great rush of buyers especially of the girls and students are being seen making roaring business.

Therefore, many shopkeepers have set up colourful stalls in the main markets including Jinnah Street, Deans Trade Centre, Gora Bazaar in cantonment, Meena Bazaar, Karimpura, Qissa Khwani and other important locations in Peshawar, offering different kinds of henna, cosmetics, earrings, gleaming bangles, embroidered clothes, jewellery, handbags, shoes and colourful dresses as Eid special offer.

The shopkeepers selling daily goods and book sellers set up additional stalls of bangles and henna inside their shops keeping in view the girls attraction towards these Eid items.

Sidra Bibi, (28), who was busy shopping in Jinnah Street Peshawar Cantonment said that she came here from Nowshera to buy crystal bangles and henna for herself, relatives and friends on Chand Raat.

"I have bought 12 sets of bangles, henna and will use it during Eid days to look different," she said.

"Buying shimmering glass bangles matched with beautiful colours of dresses, adorning hands and feet with henna being essential features of eid festivities that multiply our joys" she remarked.

"This is the cheapest way of taking along your friends and relatives as one can buy a full set of bangles and henna for less than Rs 500," she said.

Anaya Khan (8) who came along with his father for shopping at Deans Center told APP that shopping of bangles and henna always doubles her joy on Eid. 

She said that her sister has already bought bangles and cloths to avoid rush on Chand Raat and has decorated her hands with a henna expert.

She said the henna tattoos were also available in markets and were easy to paste on hands, feet and could be removed easily, adding the young girls admired henna tattoos associated with celebrations of Eid.

However, she was not happy over the shooting prices of the imported items including readymade garments and shoes and demanded strict action against profiteers.

The prices of the Eid special offers items are higher than the previous years and are beyond the purchasing capacity of the middle and salaried class.

The shopping spree have also reached to climax in Nowshera, Charsadda and Swabi  where great rush was witnessed in traditional Peshawari and Charsadda Chappals.

"Personally, I like Peshawari and Swati Chappal due to its affordable prices and durability," said Umar Khan, a resident of Pabbi while talking to APP.

He said prices of these chappals were economically affordable than imported brands, saying we need to promote our local products to bolster of our economy.

APP/fam