Odisha elite go on spending spree

Odisha is known as one of the poorest and most backward states in the country. But the lavish spending by people during three recently celebrated festivals in the state has prompted many to think otherwise. The three festivals were - Diwali, Dhan Terash and Chadakhai, a locally celebrated event.

If market sources are to be believed, during Diwali this year people in state capital Bhubaneswar, which has a population of less than 10 lakh as per the last census burnt away crackers worth a whopping Rs 20 crore. Residents did not hesitate to rush to the 644 cracker shops that had been provided with licenses by the city police to open temporary outlets and do their shopping though the prices of the crackers had gone up by 20 to 25 per cent compared to last year.

The residents of neighbouring Cuttack, the state’s erstwhile capital and a major business hub were one step ahead of Bhubaneswar so far as spending on crackers were concerned. Nearly 200 cracker shops - 150 licensed and about fifty unauthorised - did a business of more than Rs 25 crore in the city. 

Observers believe that the cracker business during this Diwali surely crossed Rs 100 crore mark if one were to take into account the entire state. “If business could reach to Rs 45 to 50 crore in the two cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack alone, then it would have definitely crossed Rs 100 crore mark in the entire state”, said a small time Bhubaneswar based businessman who earned a hefty profit by opening a temporary cracker shop in the city during this year’s Diwali.

Luxurious spending

Apart from Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, there are other major urban centres like Berhampur in south Odisha Ganjam district and steel township of Rourkela in western Odisha Sundergarh district where people spend a good amount of money during festivals like Dewali. Besides, there are also a few district headquarters towns where people go for luxurious spending during festival times.

Dhan Terash, which preceded the Diwali by a few days this year also witnessed big time spending by the people in different towns in the state including capital Bhubaneswar. The festival is observed by the people to appease Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, by buying costly metals particularly gold. 

According to sources in All Odisha Jewelers’ Association, on the day of Dhan Terash this year, the jewellers shops across the state did a business of more than Rs 90 crore. 

In Bhubaneswar alone, people bought gold ornaments, coins and bricks of different sizes and designs worth Rs 40 crore which was Rs 10 crore higher than last year. On the same day last year, the city had witnessed business in gold worth Rs 30 crore. The city is having 15 big and nearly 70 small and medium size jewellers’ shops. One of the big shops claims to have the biggest gold showroom in Asia.

Bhubaneswar was followed by Berhampur (Rs 25 crore) and Cuttack (Rs 20 crore). The rest of the towns in the state had witnessed gold business worth Rs 5 crore.
Interestingly, Dhan Terash had never been an indigenous and original festival in Odisha. It was ‘imported’ from outside, the Hindi belt to be precise. Originally a festival of north Indian people, it was confined to only north Indian settlers in different districts a few years back. However, the festival is now gaining popularity across the state with each passing year.
        
Chadakhai is celebrated in the state after the last five days of the holy month of Kartika locally known as Panchuka. During Panchuka, majority of the people in the state do not touch non-vegetarian food. On the day of Chadakhai after Panchuka, people rush to the markets to buy non-vegetarian items like fish, mutton and chicken to end their five day long vegetarianism.

On Chadakhai this year,  Bhubaneswar saw the residents buying items like fish, chicken and mutton worth Rs 13 crore on a single day. They include nearly 100 tonne of meat (78 tonnes of chicken and 22 tonnes of mutton) as well as about 50 tonnes of fish.

Many in the state are of the view that the high spending by the people in the above festivals showcases the changing financial status of the state and its citizens. However, an equal number of people do not agree with the view.

According to them, the state still remains poor as majority of its people who reside in rural pockets continue to reel under acute poverty. The spending spree during festivals like Diwali and Dhan Terash is only an urban phenomena which has no connection with the standard of living in rural Odisha.