Cuttack: The 14-day lockdown over Covid-19 pandemic has caused disappointment among the Rakhi traders in the Silver City here.
The Rakhi traders are of the opinion that they will find it difficult to sell out all their stocks even though the lockdown is scheduled to be lifted August 1.
The Rakhi traders in the Silver City here usually start selling Rakhis (decorated wrist bands) around a month ahead of the Raksha Bandhan festival. Many stalls usually come up at Buxi Bazar, Choudhury Bazar, Dolamundai, College Square and Ranihaat areas of the city to sell colourful Rakhis to customers.
According to sources, the traders in Cuttack procure varieties of Rakhis from Delhi, Gujarat and West Bengal to meet the demand of customers. Some of them also procure the wrist bands from Jatni in Khurda district.
“Girls and women usually opt for new varieties of Rakhis to tie them on the wrists of their brothers on the day of Raksha Bandhan festival. Around 200 varieties of Rakhis including those made of silver are sold in Cuttack market. The prices of the wrist bands usually vary between Rs 2 and Rs 5,000 depending upon the design and quality,” said a Rakhi trader.
Expecting a brisk business, the traders had procured huge quantities of Rakhis this year. They had also started selling the wrist bands around a fortnight ago, sources said.
However, the state government clamped the 14-day lockdown beginning July 18 in Cuttack and three other districts in Odisha to check the Covid-19 infections.
“The Raksha Bandhan festival is scheduled for August 3 this year. Rakhi sale usually picks up around 15 days ahead of the Raksha Bandhan festival. But, this lockdown will continue till July 31. We will have only two days to sell Rakhis. The lockdown has totally damaged Rakhi business in Cuttack,” said Sisir Nayak, a Rakhi trader at Choudhury Bazar.
Abinash Nanda, another trader of the locality, claimed that he used to sell Rakhis worth around Rs 25,000 in a day. “This year, the lockdown has almost finished our business,” he added.
Many customers also expressed their disappointment over closing of Rakhi shops due to the lockdown. They claimed that they would not get enough time to send the wrist bands to their brothers who are working outside Odisha.
“Now, all Rakhi shops have been closed in accordance with the lockdown norms. There is no certainty that the shops will resume business after July 31. Perhaps, the prices of Rakhis will go up after the lockdown,” said Sasmita Sahu, a customer.