PESHAWAR: The people flooded markets here and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the eve of the post-Ramazan festival on Friday to do some last-minute shopping.

Garment, shoe and sweets shops attracted large crowds of shoppers, while girls and women flocked to the special chand raat stalls of artificial jewellery, bangles and henna.

In Peshawar, people mostly turned to the main markets, including Jinnah Street, Deans Trade Centre, Gora Bazaar, Meena Bazaar, Karimpura and Qissa Khwani, to buy Eid stuff.

Samina Bibi, a 25-year-old visitor to the Jinnah Street in cantonment area, said she showed up all the way from Nowshera city to buy crystal bangles and henna for herself, relatives and friends.

“I have bought 10 sets of bangles and henna cones for use on Eid days to look different,” she said.

Bangle, henna stalls put up for shoppers

She said buying shimmering glass bangles matched with beautiful colours of dresses, adorning hands and feet with henna being essential features of Eid festivities that multiplied her joy.

“This is the cheapest way of taking along your friends and relatives as one can buy a full set of bangles and henna for less than Rs 300,” she said.

Malaika, 9, said at Deans Centre that shopping of bangles and henna always doubled her joy on Eid.

She said her sister had already bought bangles and cloths to avoid the last-minute shopping trouble and got her hands decorated with henna.

“Henna patterns are available on the market that can be easily applied to hands and feet and removed with the same ease,” she said.

She, however, complained about high prices of imported items, including ready-made garments and shoes, and demanded strict action against profiteers.

The last-minute shopping spree was reported in Nowshera, Charsadda and Swabi as well.

Men bought traditional Peshawari and Charsadda chappals.

“I like Peshawari chappal due to its affordable price and durability,” said Sajid Khan of Pabbi.

He said traditional chappals were affordable than the imported shoes.

People thronged shops selling the traditional Rajjar sweets, which is made of jaggery, in Charsadda district. The visitors included both locals and residents of Peshawar, Mardan, Mohmand, Khyber, Swabi and Nowshera districts.

Standing a kilometer north of Charsadda city, the Rajjar bazaar has become a sweets market.

The traditional sweet was brought in substantial quantity in Peshawar, Charsadda, Swabi, Nowshera and Mardan districts where Rajjar sweets are being sold like a hot cake on the eve of Eid.

The consumers are being seen standing in long queues in front of sweet shops to buy famous tasty sweets being the identity of Charsadda despite fasting.

Mohammad Yaqoob, an owner of Razzar Sweet, said his business was started by his grandfather Israruddin alias Chacha Halwai in 1930 and that he was proud to carry forward his legacy.

“Our sweets stand out from those sold in the local markets due to its better quality and taste and lower price,” he said.

He said the people served it to relatives, friends and guests as a special item on various occasions, including Eid, weddings and birthday parties.

Rajjar is a preferred choice of many poor and middle class people for being sold for Rs 400-450 per kilogram in local markets.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2023