Hena, bangles sales surge

With only two to three days left before Eidul Fitr, markets across Rawalpindi and Islamabad are witnessing a surge in shopping activity.

Stalls selling bangles, mehndi, artificial jewellery, and contact lenses have been set up in major bazaars, commercial centres, and plazas, with sales reaching their peak.

There is a heavy rush of women, students, and young girls at mehndi and bangle stalls. A wide variety of mehndi designs — Arabic, Egyptian, Iranian, and Indian — are available, while bangles in dozens of colours are on display.

Female vendors are running many of these stalls, and prices of mehndi designs have increased significantly. Kashmiri bangles are particularly popular this year, with many women preferring them over other types. Their designs and colours are available in a large variety. Prices have risen sharply as Kashmiri bangles that cost Rs300-400 per dozen last year are now being sold for Rs1,200 per dozen. Glass bangles are priced between Rs300-400 per dozen, while metal bangles range from Rs700-900.

Artificial jewellery items — including necklaces, rings, chains, tikas, and complete sets — are widely available but significantly more expensive this year. Chains are selling for around Rs3,000, rings for Rs300, and necklaces between Rs2,000-2,600.

Women are also offering mehndi application services in markets, charging Rs150 for one hand and Rs300 for both.

Students including Nargis Bibi, Hina Toufiq, and Sameera Ali said they had applied mehndi and bought matching bangles, adding that despite high prices, Eid celebrations remain unmatched.

Shopkeepers have prominently displayed bangles and mehndi, and with Chand Raat approaching, buying and selling activities are expected to continue day and night.