Navratri festival spurs demand for jewellery

Ahmedabad, Sep 17 (ANI): Ahmedabad is wearing a festive look ahead of Hindu festival of Navratri.

The nine-day Navratri festival will begin from Saturday.

Jewellery shops displayed colourful traditional ornaments in tune with the rising demand.

Young girls and women flocked jewellery shops in Rani-no-Haziro, a historical market selling oxidised jewellery.

Buyers found the colourful jewellery more appealing than the regular black metal and oxidized ones, which used to rule the markets earlier.

"Getting bored with the oxidised and black ornaments, this time there is something different about these colourful ornaments. Lets see how much we enjoy this Navratra with colourful dresses as well as colourful ornaments," said Gagan Bhatia, a customer.

The shops stocked varieties of oxidized neckpieces, earrings, bangles, waist bands known as 'kandora', modified with colourful beads, multicolour stones, mirror work, woollen tassels, pearls and sequin works to make it look more spectacular.

Shopkeepers said they were selling colourful jewellery more than the plain oxidized variety.

"This year colourful jewellery is in demand. Earlier it used to be simply oxidized ones but now we have introduced coloured stones on it and people are demanding more of it," said Altaf Sheikh, a shopkeeper.

Groups of young people in traditional attire dancing to folk tunes with women wearing long skirts and jewellery performing 'dandiya' dance with a pair of sticks add spice to Navratri. 'Navratri', which literally means nine nights, is observed twice a year. The festival lasts for nine days in honour of nine manifestations of Goddess Durga.

It is believed that during the days of Navratras, Goddess Durga descends on earth to rid it of the demons and blesses her devotees with happiness and prosperity. (ANI)