COVID-19 casts shadow on Raksha Bandhan festivities, 'rakhi' traders suffer major blow

The pandemic has hit us hard." Arup Baidya, a stationery shop owner in Agarpara, on the outskirts of the city, said a few women had visited his store on Sunday evening, as the police had allowed him to run his business well beyond the stipulated time of 1 pm.

Raksha Bandhan turned out to be a low-key affair in West Bengal this year, with siblings, separated by distance, greeting each other online, and families skipping the traditional festivities on the occasion in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Small traders, and rakhi (amulet) vendors, who otherwise look forward to this time of the year for brisk business, incurred heavy losses, as most people walked past their shops without paying attention to the colourful array of silk and cotton threads on display.

Samir Saha, a roadside vendor in Shyambazar, said, "Last year, I had earned Rs 5,000 selling rakhis. This time, I managed to earn just Rs 1,000. The pandemic has hit us hard." Arup Baidya, a stationery shop owner in Agarpara, on the outskirts of the city, said a few women had visited his store on Sunday evening, as the police had allowed him to run his business well beyond the stipulated time of 1 pm. "We were allowed to keep our shops open till 8 pm on Sunday. Some regular customers visited my shop last evening.

This morning, however, no one walked in... I am not sure what to do with the stock I procured from Burrabazar," Baidya said. The city wore a sombre look on Monday, and long queues outside temples were missing, with just a handful of people seen offering prayers at Kalighat and Dakshineswar shrines.

Sutanuka Basu, a resident of the city's Jadavpur area, said it was customary for her and her brother to visit the Kalighat temple on the occasion every year. "This year, however, he is away in Delhi. I had planned to visit the temple alone, but dropped the plan owing to safety concerns. I wished my brother online, and promised to treat him to a sumptuous meal when we meet next," the 21- year-old college student said.

Earlier in the day, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended their best wishes to the people of the state. "May spirit of this festival strengthen our resolve to protect the interest of women and promote welfare, especially of girl children," Dhankhar said.

Banerjee paid tribute to Rabindranath Tagore, who had in 1905 used the occasion to bring the Hindus and Muslims together during the Partition of Bengal..

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