As Hariyali Teej approaches amid light Sawan showers, Firozabad's famous bangle market has come alive again, and this year it isn't just green bangles flying off the shelves, it's the green and red combination that shoppers can't stop asking for. Green bangles have always held special importance in women's adornment during this season of light drizzle, but now pairing them with red bangles has become the bigger trend. Shopkeepers in the Gali Imambada bangle market have stocked their shops with bangles built around this new colour pairing, and buyers are travelling from far and wide just to get their hands on this particular combo. Prices for these bangles also vary from shop to shop.
How the green and red pairing became this season's favourite
Nitin Goyal, who runs a bangle firm in Gali Imambada, said that new designs had started flooding the market even before Sawan began this year. According to him, women earlier preferred plain green bangles on their own, but this season the market is dominated by sets that combine green with red. Goyal said
Wearing red bangles along with green ones is a completely new fashion that has arrived in the market this time.
It isn't limited to plain bangles either, the same colour combination is now being used across several other designs, giving women more choice as they prepare to celebrate Hariyali Teej.
Stone work, zari and figure designs join the trend
Shopkeepers said that given the rising craze for green and red bangles among women, manufacturers are now specially preparing bangles with figure work, stone work and zari work. In the market, bangles are being sold not just as todas, or bunches, but also packed in small boxes priced by the dozen. Green is traditionally seen as a symbol of greenery and prosperity, while red is considered auspicious, which is why women are choosing to wear sets that combine both colours together.
Orders pouring in from abroad, and the prices behind the craze
Bangle traders said the demand for green bangles has always existed across the country, but the new green and red combo is now finding buyers well beyond India's borders. Traders are receiving orders for fancy green and red bangles from the US, England and Bangladesh. What stands out despite this demand is how affordable the bangles remain, a bunch of green and red bangles, containing eight dozen pieces, costs just Rs 110, while bangles sold in small boxes are priced at Rs 50. Shopkeepers say it is this combination of low prices and fresh designs that has made the combo popular with buyers both in India and abroad.
