Weeks before the Kanwar Yatra begins, Saharanpur's hosiery units have swung into overdrive, running machines around the clock to turn out saffron T-shirts, boxers and capris, with traders expecting business worth Rs 75 to 100 crore this season.
Round-the-clock production, extra hands on the shop floor
To keep pace with rising orders, most units have scaled up production and hired additional workers to run day and night shifts. The extra work is putting money directly into the pockets of local labourers while boosting the broader hosiery trade. The Kanwar Yatra brings a major business opportunity to Saharanpur's hosiery industry every year, and this season the market mood is upbeat once again. With lakhs of Lord Shiva's devotees needing saffron clothing through the month of Sawan, most units are focused entirely on saffron-coloured garments. Demand for outfits for devotees of every age rises all at once during this period, which is why factories are running machines continuously to complete orders within the short window available. Clothes stitched in Saharanpur's hosiery market travel well beyond Uttar Pradesh, reaching markets in Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal and Delhi. Designs have also diversified this year, with everything from AI-generated prints to thousands of traditional patterns being produced for Shiva devotees.
A season Haridwar-bound pilgrims wait all year for
Vaibhav Kamboj, treasurer of the Hosiery Vyapar Sangh, said, "Hosiery traders wait the whole year for this season." He explained that Kanwariyas from across north and central India travel to Haridwar for a holy dip in the Ganga, and hosiery traders prepare a wide range of clothing specifically for them. Orders reach Saharanpur's units from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and several districts of Uttar Pradesh, as well as from Madhya Pradesh. Preparation for this business begins months in advance because the selling window is short, and that narrow window is exactly what makes the season so profitable for hosiery traders. That is why the Kanwar season is regarded every year as the most profitable stretch on the hosiery trade's calendar.
Costly cotton yarn gives way to polyester and AI-designed prints
With cotton fabric and yarn growing expensive, polyester cloth has seen a sharp rise in demand. Traders say polyester is now the most sought-after material, used to make T-shirts, lowers and boxers printed with images of Lord Shiva. Clothes for young children are also selling briskly, including cartoon-style prints of Lord Krishna and AI-generated prints of Lord Shiva. Every year during the Kanwar season, Saharanpur's hosiery trade turns over anywhere between Rs 50 crore and Rs 100 crore, making this stretch the industry's biggest earning period of the year.
