Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
New Delhi: When customers giggle at these designs, we can’t help but join in the laughter, chuckled Pawan Aggarwal, who has run his toy shop in Sadar Bazar for three decades. The designs he is alluding to are the Holi innovations. “Last year, it was light-up pichkaris that had everyone excited. This year, it’s these automatic water shark guns,” he said.
From rolling pin- and hammer-shaped water guns to organic Holi powder in every shade imaginable, festive mischief is afoot in Sadar Bazar. The market is a riot of colours, creativity, and chaos, as vendors entice customers with an assortment of Holi goodies and shoppers quench their thirst for the quirkiest ways to drench their friends.
Walking through the narrow, bustling lanes of Sadar Bazar, visitors are confronted by water guns in all shapes and designs ranging from the traditional to the delightfully absurd. From automatic shark-themed soakers to axe and hammer-shaped pichkaris, these playful colour squirters spark both curiosity and delight.
Indeed, the cyclone water guns have become social media sensations. “People come asking for them in all sorts of funny ways. Some are searching for ‘reel wali pichkari’, others for ‘tornado’ or ‘cyclone’ water guns. But we are never confused — we know exactly which one they’re describing,” smiled Aggarwal, 50, one of five brothers who manage the family business.
Aggarwal has witnessed decades of Holi trends. “This year, the new pichkaris have taken everyone by storm,” he said, though also disappointed a tad because “many goods are still stuck in godowns due to road blockages for the Maha Kumbh”.
At an organic gulal and balloon stall nearby, Sapna, 45, arranged her wares. Like many seasonal vendors, she sells diyas during Diwali, rakhis during Raksha Bandhan and Holi items at this time of the year. “I’ve set up shop here for 4-5 years,” she said. “Diwali has better sales, but Holi is special for children,” she said. Her stall features the hathoda (hammer) and kulhari (axe) pichkaris, each selling for Rs 100.
Kusum, 28, had come all the way from Shahdara after work to surprise her eight-year-old daughter with a whole Holi package. “I wanted to bring home something fun for my daughter,” she said, carefully examining a teddy-shaped water gun. “The variety of colours and designs here is amazing. Everyone now understands the importance of using organic colours also instead of harsh chemicals and the selection at Sadar Bazar is more than affordable.”
The shift toward eco-friendly celebrations is evident in the increasing availability of organic gulal across the market. At the market’s edge, Varun, a hawker selling water balloons, demonstrated their durability by filling them from a bucket beside him. “We stock hundreds of packets,” he assured customers, his hands stained with the colours he sells alongside the balloons. Some shopkeepers were selling T-shirts too.
As Delhi prepares for the festival of colours on Friday, markets like these remain the beating heart of Holi preparations. For Harish, 58, and Pooja, 51, a couple from Rani Bagh, the annual Holi shopping at Sadar Bazar has quite another purpose. Laden with bags filled with water balloons, organic powder and water guns, Harish explained their unusually large purchase: “These aren’t for us. They are for the children and families living near the footpath by a small temple close to our home. Every festival, whether it’s Holi or Diwali, we ensure they get to celebrate just like everyone else.”
Pooja added, “Compared with the smiles on their faces when we surprise them, the money we spend is nothing.” That perhaps is what Holi is all about.
Mayank Rawat
