Karwa Chauth 2020 : How women will fast in Covid-19 times

Karwa Chauth 2020 : How women will fast in Covid-19 times

Karwa Chauth 2020 : How INDIA women will fast in Covid-19 times

Amritsar, The pandemic seems to have come down heavily on the Karwa Chauth festivities this year, as women folk restrain their celebrations and festive mood.

 

The festival, symbolising marital harmony and bond between couples, had off late become a major pomp and show event, fostering business of henna artists, salons and designer fashion labels. But since it is 2020, the year of Covid-19, Karwa Chauth, too, has been overshadowed by the pandemic.

Lawrence Road, that used to turn into a mehndi arena days ahead of Karwa Chauth, saw only a handful of henna artists waiting for women to show up. The business has dropped to 40 per cent due to the pandemic, as women preferred to skip the ritual in the wake of Covid-19. “The business has been brisk this year, as most women are avoiding professional henna artists for the fear of coming in contact. Our bookings have reduced to almost 40-50 per cent despite heavy discounts and cutting down henna prices. Earlier, we used to charge Rs1,500-Rs2,000 per sitting, especially for new brides. But this year, we are not getting many new brides,” said Manoj Kumar, a henna artist from Lawrance Road.

Manoj, who used to work with a team comprising 10-12 artists from Delhi, Agra, Lucknow and Kolkata, said people used to get bookings in advance. “We had cut down our rates by 30 per cent this time, but still customers did not come. So far, only a handful of women have come.” Some artists were even carrying PPE kits with them as a precaution.

He said despite artists taking all mandatory safety precautions with masks and sanitisers, the business was very slow. According to henna artist Bhavna, another factor for the slow business was the spending capacity of people, which was affected directly due to the lockdown. “Since people’s income has been affected, they are not spending as they used to during festivals. It will be bad for economy, as many livelihoods including that of henna artists depended on the festival spree.”

Even make-up artists, too, had to cancel plans due to lack of orders and bookings. “Everyone is keeping in mind their safety and since make-up and henna requires direct contact with artists, not many are preferring to opt for professionals,” said Saloni Arora, a salon owner. There are hardly any cultural event or activities for Karwa Chauth this time and it has been replaced by small house parties to avoid large gatherings.