Patna: As Republic Day approaches, street vendors and hawkers have positioned themselves at traffic signals, chowks and roadsides in the city, displaying Republic Day merchandise. Khadi establishments have stocked up on national flags crafted from cotton, silk and khadi materials to meet the increasing consumer demand. Apart from the main celebration at Gandhi Maidan, the festivities are set to be grand across educational institutions, private and govt offices, residential societies, businesses, and individual households, with flag-hoisting ceremonies planned. Markets are now abundant with Republic Day merchandise, including flags, t-shirts, scarves, stickers, caps, wristbands, badges, bangles, sashes, ribbons, balloons, pompoms, diaries and pens, among other items. Mohd Saqib, a vendor near Patna high court on Bailey Road, said he prepared tricolours in three sizes ranging from Rs 30 to Rs 120. “I have been putting up my makeshift stall for the last 20 years. Right now, I don’t have many buyers, but the sales will pick up from January 24. Govt offices and educational institutes buy the flags and other Republic Day merchandise in bulk,” he said. Another vendor, Mohd Sonu, also hoped sales would increase during the next three days. “I have already sold flags and articles worth Rs 1,200 in the last two days. People are also buying badges, wristbands and sashes, which are being sold between Rs 150 and Rs 200 per pack,” he said. A wide range of Republic Day merchandise and national flags are on display at Khadi Mall near Gandhi Maidan and Khadi Gram Udyog Bhavan at Maurya Lok. It encompasses tricolour flags, Gandhi caps, tricolour ‘saris’, ‘kurta’, ‘pajamas’ and various other items. Khadi Mall’s manager Ramesh Chaudhary said there was an uptick in demand for tricolour flags and other khadi items. Khadi store manager Siddharth Jain said the demand for ‘kurtas’, ‘pajamas’, ‘gamchhas’, and ‘bundis’ is high among buyers. “Kurtas cost between Rs 600 and Rs 2,500, ‘pajamas’ range from Rs 350 to 600, ‘gamchhas’ are priced up to Rs 400, while ‘bundis’ are available from Rs 1,200 to 3,000,” he said. Rakesh Kumar, a shopkeeper of a store on Boring Road, said as the celebration draws near the sales start picking up. “Most of our buyers are students of schools and colleges. They have bought badges, sashes and ribbons along with flags in large stock, mainly for their performance during the R-Day celebration,” he added.
