Eid fever: Bangles, henna sell like hot cakes

Stalls selling jewellery and henna are doing roaring business these days, as these two items are most popular with girls, who throng to these stalls like bees to a hive.The young girls match bangles with the colours of their Eid dresses, while many of them rush towards henna stalls to embellish their hands before the Eid’s arrival.Sale of bangles and ‘mehndi’ has picked up momentum in twin cities as mehndi and bangles are much important for the beauty and happiness in women’s life.Bangles and mehndi attract women, irrespective of their age, and its true to say “Its Eid, if women are wearing colourful and matching bangles and have mehndi designs on their hands”.Every year, parlours introduce new and unique designs of mehndi as every girl wants to have a new and different design on her hands so she could look different from her friends and relatives.Flowery designs and fine lines are popular on Eid while many young girls make their own designs.Use of glitter and shining powder as well as stars is a new addition to Mehndi designs.Bangles are made from different materials such as glass, plastic and even gold.Though bangles are worn all over the world for style and fashion, glass bangles are renowned and are in great demand.“Women love to wear bangles and adore their hands with henna.It is not only a symbol of fashion but it is also a tradition,” says Hina Hussain, a housewife adding, ““Like every year, I will spend whole night with my friends on Chand Raat, visiting markets and buying bangles and other accessories.And the last essential thing for me is applying henna on Chand Raat.” She says the henna tattoos are also available in markets and are easy to paste on hands and feet and can be removed easily.The trend of women henna experts is increasing during Eid celebrations as they setup their stalls days before Eid till Chand Raat to attract females.Offering traditional and contemporary motifs in a variety of ‘Mehndi’ kinds.“The trend of mehndi stalls has witnessed an increase during last few years as earlier women used to earn through Mehndi only at their homes and beauty salons,” says Sakeena, mehndi designer, Old City.Bangle shapes and mehndi designsThere was a time when only glass bangles were prevalent but now bangles are available in plastic, metal and other materials.It is not only the innovation in material but also in the shape.Gone are the days when only round shape bangles were worn by the girls but now square and zigzag shaped bangles are also available in the market.Sirrajjudin the owner of Siraj Bangle Store, Old City says, “The most popular bangles sold during Ramzan are Mazdoori (six-set of bangles), two-line bangles made lac.Then there are iron metal bangles with 888 stone.Sales of these bangles are high during the festival.” Parlours in the city have introduced new and unique designs of mehndi as every girl wants to have a new and different design on her hands so she could look different from her friends and relatives.Flowery designs and fine lines are popular on Eid while many young girls make their own designs.Use of glitter and shining powder as well as stars is a new addition to Mehndi designs.CostBangle range starts from Rs. 100 and goes up to Rs. 1,800.Mehndi range starts from Rs. 80 to Rs. 400.