After 2 years of sales downturn, gulal traders see silver lining in polls, drop in Covid cases

The recently-concluded polls and decrease in coronavirus infections have given a much-needed boost to the gulal traders in the state capital Lucknow ahead of the Holi festival.

Gulal or dry coloured powder is used extensively during Holi.

Gulal traders, specially those dealing in herbal gulal, have seen a spike in orders received this year.

''The business of gulal has been affected severely in the last two years because of the pandemic. This year, with no major COVID-19 restrictions in place, we have started receiving orders again,'' Subodh Kumar Sharma, a gulal trader in Old city area of Lucknow, told PTI.

Sharma, who supplies gulal to several smaller businesses in the city, said the demand for herbal gulal has gone up considerably this time.

''Every one is demanding herbal gulal this year. I think the demand for herbal gulal is almost equal to that of the traditional gulal. We are finding it difficult to meet the orders of herbal gulal,'' said Sharma.

Unlike the traditional gulal which is readily available in the market, the herbal variant is made using non-toxic herbal colour dye.

''The use of herbal colour dye make herbal gulal non-toxic and non-irritant on application. The herbal gulal, however, costs more because of the use of herbal colour dye,'' explained SK Barik, the director of Lucknow-based National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI).

Yawner Ali Shah, the founder of AMA herbals that produces herbal gulal in Lucknow, said, ''We have seen a marked increase in the demand for herbal gulal in the Indian market''.

''This year too the demand for herbal gulal has gone up. It reflects how our society is becoming aware about the harm of synthetic dyes,'' Shah said, adding that the people should ask for source of natural dye and check for authenticity before buying herbal gulal.

The recently-concluded Uttar Pradesh assembly elections have also given a shot in the arm for gulal traders.

Supporters of the BJP have organised Holi events to celebrate their victory and have place bulk orders for gulal.

Hathras-based Ratan Bihari Agarwal, who is one of the largest gulal producers in Uttar Pradesh, told PTI, ''We have received orders from different cities in Uttar Pradesh from people who are organising Holi events to celebrate the victory of BJP in the UP elections. Orders from such individuals or groups are around 25 per cent of our total orders. Most of these orders are of herbal gulal.'' PTI CDN ABN CK

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)