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After two Covid-hit years, Prayagraj tailors busy completing Eid orders
With situation becoming normal this year and no restrictions on gatherings and markets, Muslims are in full mood of celebrating the festival with enthusiasm
Tailors in the Sangam city are a busy lot these days as they have to finish stitching of clothes ordered by their customers for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr festival. A welcome change has come in their business prospects after a gap of two years during which they suffered financial crisis owing to the Covid pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.
Despite readymade garments available in the market and even online, women still prefer stitched clothes for different occasions especially Eid. Gents’ tailors have been receiving lesser work after factory made jeans, trousers and kurta pyjamas flooded the markets.
However, still many in Muslim community, especially aged and middle-aged men, prefer stitched clothes for a better fitting. Old city of Prayagraj has some very good tailors who have been stitching clothes for generations. Most of tailors’ shops are in Kareli, Sabzi Mandi, Roshanbagh and Dariyabad localities. However, many of them were closed as tailors were not able to pay their rent during lockdown.
With situation becoming normal this year and no restrictions on gatherings and markets following sharp dip in Covid cases, members of Muslim community are in full mood of celebrating the festival with enthusiasm. People are flocking to tailors’ shops to place orders for stitching their kurta pyjamas, shirts and trousers as per their fittings and designs.
Gents’ tailor Imran and his assistant are busy day and night stitching clothes at their shop in Kareli area. Imran suffered a heavy setback as almost no one turned up for getting their clothes stitched during last two years. “Till 2019, I used to have four assistants with me as we used to get loads of orders. For the last two years, only a few turned up for giving orders and I had to dismiss all my helpers. This year, the situation has turned better and I have employed an assistant for helping me compete the orders before Eid” Imran said.
Zeeshan, another tailor in Dariyabad locality, is also happy this Ramzan as he is receiving new orders. Charges for stitching kurta pyjama, shirt trouser and Pathani suits normally range between ₹500 and ₹700 as per the design. “However, we are charging even less than that as many of the customers are ye to overcome the problems that cropped up following the pandemic,” Zeeshan said.
Pappu, a ladies’ specialist tailor and a resident of Gaus Nagar, once used to run a big shop. After Covid-induced lockdowns, his work was ruined and now his wife, three daughters and he are living in a small room. Normal charges for stitching lady’s suits range between ₹300 and ₹600. “After suffering financial setback for two years, I am now receiving multiple orders and my family and I are busy day and night in completing them. We hope things will get better in future” Pappu said.
Mohd Tariq, a tailor in Shahganj area, said he had nothing to do in the last two years except some occasional orders for marriage functions. “Things are getting better this year,” he added.
Due to lockdown during first wave of Covid, tailors received fewer orders as all markets were closed. The situation was worse during the second wave as people themselves stayed away from markets due to threat of the pandemic.
Hundreds of people lost their lives during second wave of Covid which was at its peak during Ramzan in April 2021. Following the deaths people celebrated a simple and sober Eid-ul-Fitr and refrained from new clothes and shopping.
