Ram temple memorabilia floods market in UP

Lucknow, Jan 18: Fridge magnets, stickers, badges, scarves, flags, dupattas, saris, school bags, tiffin boxes -- you name it and they have it. With the Ram fervour sweeping across the country, the markets are now flooded with temple related memorabilia.

“There is a huge demand for temple memorabilia. Every second vehicle in the state capital has a sticker of the temple or Lord Hanuman and the demand is rising by the day. Some people are even replacing their party flags with temple flags,” said Vishwas Kumar, a dealer in automobile accessories.

He said that there was also a demand for temple replicas that could be fitted on the dashboard of vehicles.

“We have placed orders and hope to get it by the weekend,” he said.

Nitin Srivastava, a shop owner in Aminabad said that the demand for school bags and tiffin boxes with the temple image are also in great demand.

“Last year, children were seeking bags with ‘Pathan’ and ‘Jawaan’ images but now it is a temple all the way which is a very positive sign,” he explained.

Since winter is at its peak in the state at this time, saffron scarves, mufflers and wrap-arounds with temple motifs are witnessing brisk sales in the market.

The latest to hit the market are tea and coffee mugs with temple and Lord Ram imprints on them.

“We have received bulk orders from eateries in Ayodhya and now there is a demand for these mugs in the retail markets too,” said Garvit Singh, a wholesale dealer in crockery.

“We are getting customers of all ages and we hope sales will increase in coming days,” he said adding that, “It is a moment of great pride for us that the Ram temple is being constructed.”