Hariyali Teej is here, bringing with it the sweet aroma of ghewar, the rhythmic clinking of bangles, and long queues at mehendi stalls. As tradition and festivity come alive in vibrant hues, city markets are buzzing with activity — here’s what’s trending:
Mehendi mania in city
The excitement is real in the heart of Connaught Place, where right outside the iconic Hanuman Mandir a mehendi artist Jagjeevan, perched on a low stool, is busy creating magic with a mehendi cone. He says, “Designer mehendis are the rage nowadays, but bahut log especially Madhubani style ki mehendi lagwane aa rahe hain. This design comprises a lot of flowers and leaves. Also, for Teej, women are mostly asking for gol chakra or mandala mehendi design.”
Sharing how the dancing peacock motif is another preferred one by married women and even youngsters who are celebrating Hariyali Teej (July 27), Shashi says, “Yeh dekho, poori album hai humare paas choose karne ko... We apply different styles of mehendi including Arabian, bridal, and Rajasthani. Par Teej ke liye is baar logon ko jhoola aur peacock wale designs sabse zyada pasand aa rahe hain. Some enthusiastic women are also searching for these specific designs on internet and sharing screenshots of those pictures with us to ask before they sit down ‘Aap yeh wala design laga paoge?’”
It’s, however, not just the designs that matter but also the money. “We usually charge ₹300 to apply mehendi on both hands par jitna bareek design banwaoge utna price high hoga. Teej ke liye we are charging ₹3,100 for an intricate design that covers both hands and looks outstanding,” shares Ranveer Singh, a mehendi artist at New Friends Colony’s Community Centre. Adding to this, Ravi Rajasthani, another artist in the same vicinity, says: “Full haath waali mehendi ka ₹2,000 for both hands price hai aaj ke din. In this we make floral patterns where Radha and Krishna figures are on jhoola.”
{{/usCountry}}It’s, however, not just the designs that matter but also the money. “We usually charge ₹300 to apply mehendi on both hands par jitna bareek design banwaoge utna price high hoga. Teej ke liye we are charging ₹3,100 for an intricate design that covers both hands and looks outstanding,” shares Ranveer Singh, a mehendi artist at New Friends Colony’s Community Centre. Adding to this, Ravi Rajasthani, another artist in the same vicinity, says: “Full haath waali mehendi ka ₹2,000 for both hands price hai aaj ke din. In this we make floral patterns where Radha and Krishna figures are on jhoola.”
{{/usCountry}}Ghewar gets a fruit-ful twist
No festival is complete without sweet treats, and when it’s time for Teej then ghewar is an absolutely essential indulgence! “Khoya, malai and rose ghewars toh banate hi thay, but now we have lots of new varieties like mango, blueberry, and even biscoff. For the kids, we are especially making chocolate ghewars this Teej,” informs Shekhar from Kanwarji’s in Chandni Chowk, which was established in 1850, and are today getting equal number of orders offline and online.
For Teej, specifically, preparations begin a month in advance. Shivam Kumar from Gulab in Pitampura shares, “Kesar Ghewar is our signature dish but we also make Kunafa Ghewar and Paneer Ghewar... Usually we sell at least a thousand ghewars in the week of Teej, and seeing this demand we have also introduced a sugar-free variant and more fruit flavoured ghewars like Kiwi Ghewar that’s less sweet.”
Story by Pragati Vishwakarma and Aditya Zharotia