JAIPUR: This Holi get ready to shell out extra bucks to purchase water guns and Holi colours. Gulaal that makes every Holi colourful was available in Rs 35 to Rs 45 per kg in the year 20019 has now been sold in Rs 100 to Rs 150 per kg. Traders stated that with fewer Covid cases, the demand for Gulaal has increased in the rural and urban markets and increased demand has hampered the supply.
TOI on Sunday visited the markets in the walled city to know the reasons why the prices have increased.
“For the past two years there has been negligible business of Holi. Since the cases started dipping in the February those who are into production got sensed that this time the festival would be celebrated in the same enthusiasm it used to be celebrated pre-Covid times. Thus, production was increased. However, the demand also increased as our retail shopkeepers across the state started giving us orders in mid-February itself,” said Ramesh Samtani, a wholesale trader dealing with Holi colours and firecrackers during Diwali.
Likewise, the colours are expensive as people have started opting for colours having lesser chemicals. “The Gulaal which is not dangerous for skin has Arrowroot in its base. Thus it is expensive.,” said Abdul Sagir, a wholesale trader of Holi colours and water guns at Tripolia Bazaar.
Likewise, Digvijay Bhandari who deals with corporate gifting in various corporate companies too is affected with the price rise. “We just take orders for preparing 5000 to 10000 gift boxes for Holi and corporates have given us the same prices of boxes we were giving to them in 2019. However, when we started procuring the Gulal directly from the factories we found that prices are just triple to what we used to take in 2019.,” Bhandari added.
Similarly the prices of water guns are high. “Many small companies manufacturing water guns shut down in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi due to which the product is not much in the market. The water guns which were available in Rs 100 to Rs 1000 are now available in Rs 500 to Rs 1500,” said Nitin Saraf, a wholesaler dealing with water guns at Johari Bazaar.
TOI on Sunday visited the markets in the walled city to know the reasons why the prices have increased.
“For the past two years there has been negligible business of Holi. Since the cases started dipping in the February those who are into production got sensed that this time the festival would be celebrated in the same enthusiasm it used to be celebrated pre-Covid times. Thus, production was increased. However, the demand also increased as our retail shopkeepers across the state started giving us orders in mid-February itself,” said Ramesh Samtani, a wholesale trader dealing with Holi colours and firecrackers during Diwali.
Likewise, the colours are expensive as people have started opting for colours having lesser chemicals. “The Gulaal which is not dangerous for skin has Arrowroot in its base. Thus it is expensive.,” said Abdul Sagir, a wholesale trader of Holi colours and water guns at Tripolia Bazaar.
Likewise, Digvijay Bhandari who deals with corporate gifting in various corporate companies too is affected with the price rise. “We just take orders for preparing 5000 to 10000 gift boxes for Holi and corporates have given us the same prices of boxes we were giving to them in 2019. However, when we started procuring the Gulal directly from the factories we found that prices are just triple to what we used to take in 2019.,” Bhandari added.
Similarly the prices of water guns are high. “Many small companies manufacturing water guns shut down in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi due to which the product is not much in the market. The water guns which were available in Rs 100 to Rs 1000 are now available in Rs 500 to Rs 1500,” said Nitin Saraf, a wholesaler dealing with water guns at Johari Bazaar.
