COVID-19 Pandemic Affects Rakhi Business In Odisha’s Sambalpur

Sambalpur: With Raksha Bandhan round the corner, Rakhi traders in Burla of Sambalpur district are is distress as they find it difficult to sell their Rakhi stocks due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The traders usually start selling Rakhis a month ahead of the Raksha Bandhan. Many stalls are put up at Indira Gandhi market, Gopabandhu chowk, Pakka market, Kachha Market, Petrol pump chowk, Sadeipali and Bharati Club chowk. But this year, the traders are still holding stocks of last year.

On the other hand, many sisters have sent their Rakhis through online platforms too as their brothers are unable to visit them for Raksha Bandhan festival this time.

The traders here procure varieties of Rakhis from Raipur, Bargarh, Kolkata and Berhampur to meet the demand of customers. Though shutdown in the district was lifted on Saturday, traders were unable to put up stalls.

“The Raksha Bandhan festival is scheduled to be celebrated on Tuesday and we will have only a day to sell Rakhis. This COVID-19 pandemic has totally smashed our Rakhi business,” said Rahul Chhabria, a Rakhi trader at Pakka Market in Burla.

Pratima Choudhury, another trader near Durga Mandap, claimed that she used to sell Rakhis worth around Rs 11,000 in a day. “This year, the lockdown has harmed our business as one-fourth of the Rakhis were sold till date, but still, we hope for the best as a day is left,” she added.

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