Chhath Puja festival witnesses trade worth over Rs 50,000 crore: CAIT

New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) The grand festival of Chhath Puja generated trade worth more than Rs 50,000 crore nationwide, according to the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Tuesday.

CAIT’s assessment, conducted after the festival, revealed that over 10 crore people across India participated in Chhath celebrations.

Bihar alone witnessed business activity worth about Rs 15,000 crore, followed by Delhi with Rs 8,000 crore and Jharkhand with Rs 5,000 crore.

The findings are part of CAIT’s ongoing research on India’s “Sanatan Economy,” which studies the spending patterns during major festivals and wedding seasons.

CAIT Secretary General and Member of Parliament Praveen Khandelwal said that Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh, particularly the Purvanchal region, remained the main centres of Chhath celebrations, where large congregations gathered along rivers and ponds.

However, Delhi and the NCR region also saw a major business boom due to the large Purvanchali population.

The Delhi government constructed around 1,500 ghats and spent significantly on infrastructure, sanitation, and security arrangements.

Khandelwal said that other states, including West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, also reported strong economic activity.

In metros and non-traditional states like Odisha, Karnataka, and Telangana, local markets saw brisk sales due to the presence of migrant communities who celebrated Chhath with great enthusiasm.

According to CAIT, the main items sold during the festival included bananas, sugarcane, coconuts, rice, grains, sweets such as thekua and laddoos, and essential puja materials like baskets, diyas, flowers, and clay utensils.

There was also a surge in demand for services related to ghat construction, lighting, sanitation, and boat rides.

Khandelwal added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to promote Swadeshi (indigenous) products and the recent GST rate reductions played a key role in driving this festive trade.

Local markets across India organised “Swadeshi Chhath” campaigns to promote traditional artisans, bamboo basket makers, and jaggery producers, boosting sales of locally made goods.

He further said that the momentum from the Prime Minister’s GST Savings Festival, which earlier spurred Diwali sales, continued during Chhath Puja. The twin festivals helped lift overall consumer demand across sectors.

--IANS

pk