By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Clothing stores are in full festive mode, decorated for the upcoming Durga Puja in Patna. Shoppers have already started flocking to the markets for their festival shopping. To meet the increasing demand, traders across the capital—spanning textiles, automobiles, footwear, and puja materials—have stocked up on goods. According to traders, the Dussehra season is expected to generate business worth over Rs 2000 crore in Patna and surrounding areas.
The textile market is currently dominated by new fashion trends. The demand for designer clothing has surged, especially for women seeking a stylish look. Shops are offering a wide range of colours, designs, and price ranges, with high demand for printed and linen shirts. Brands have also launched a new collection of suiting and shirting to cater to the festive crowd. In addition, many shopping malls are packed with customers, drawn in by discounts ranging from 10 to 20 percent.
Among women, popular clothing items include heavy saris, lightweight saris with intricate patterns, Patola, Kanjivaram, Bandhani, Banarasi saris, silk saris, brasso saris, and worked saris. Brands such as Laxmipati, Vishal, and Subhash are in demand, with prices ranging from Rs 1000 to Rs 8000. Long gowns featuring heavy embroidery, silk, cotton, pearls, stones, and zircon work are also trending among women.
For the youth, both boys and girls, jeans are the most sought-after item, with various designs and patterns available. Torn jeans are a particular favourite this season. Girls are also opting for heavy Anarkali suits and bridal gowns, with light shades like green, light blue, pink, and peach being popular choices. Modern lehengas, kurtas, and embroidered tops are also high in demand.
Youth are increasingly prioritising fashionable, stylish clothing, with brands like Levis, Adidas, Puma, Octave, Monte Carlo, Woodland, and Red Chief among the top choices.
Footwear is also seeing a surge in sales, with belly shoes, leather footwear, peep-toe heels, pencil heels, sandals, and platform heels being especially popular among women and young girls. These can be worn both during the festive and wedding seasons, with prices ranging from Rs 600 to Rs 5000, while branded options are priced even higher.
The automobile sector is also expecting a significant boost during the festival period. On average, around ten four-wheelers are being booked each day in Patna. Kiran Auto Mobiles director Nitin Kumar noted that many SUV models are currently on a waiting list, with more than 50 cars expected to be delivered this festive season.
Pushpesh Saras, director of Chandan Hero, said that the demand for electric two-wheelers during this festive season is expected to increase by more than 100 percent compared to last year, with electric bikes being more popular than conventional models. Premium, electric, and cruise bikes, especially Harley-Davidson, are among the favourites, with over 200 bikes expected to be delivered this season.
Manoj Agrawal, head of the Siyaram showroom in Khaitan Market, noted that customer enthusiasm is higher than last year, and upcoming festivals like Dussehra, Diwali, and Chhath, as well as the wedding season, are expected to drive sales. He anticipates more than Rs 500 crore in business, with demand for both branded and non-branded clothes on the rise. Prices have remained relatively stable.
For Navratri puja, customers are expected to spend at least Rs 1000-1200 for the Kalash Sthapana Puja, which includes approximately 30 items. Shiv Kumar of Shri Puja Bhandar in Kadamkuan noted that the price of puja materials has risen by 15 to 20 percent this year, particularly for ghee, humad, coconut, and camphor. Ghee now costs between Rs 250 and Rs 600 per kilogram, humad ranges from Rs 120 to Rs 150 per kilogram, coconuts are priced at Rs 30-40 each, and camphor costs between Rs 1000 and Rs 1500 per kilogram.
