By Aak Raj Giri
Pokhara, July 23: With the beginning of pious month of Sharwan, operators of cosmetic shops in Pokhara are busy selling cosmetic items.
Even though the month of Sharwan is exclusively dedicated to Lord Shiva, fashion also adds brightness to the atmosphere of the lake city this month.
With the start of Shrawan month , women in Pokhara have begun putting mehendi on their hands and wearing red, green and yellow bangles in their wrists with saari and kurtha of matching colours, especially green.
Women and girls donned their colourful attires with stylish accessories roaming in the lake city have been an added beauty to all onlookers.
Weeks before the month of Shrawan began, businessmen in Pokhara had started selling green colour accessories as the demand for green bangles, potes (glass beads) and Tikas increases this month.
According to Srijana Rijal, manager of Sahar Sharamsha Cosmetic Shop at New Road, Pokhara, most of the women who visited her shop in the first week of the month chose accessories of green colours.
Trend of wearing green saris and bangles has been increasing over the years. Not only women but also children and young girls put mehendi on their hands and wear green bangles on their wrist.
Married women believe that wearing green colour bangles and mehndi in the month of Shrawan will help prolong life of their husbands and unmarried women will find a good husband.
Binita Gurung of Bagar, Pokhara, does not know the reason for wearing green bangle and mehndi but her hand is full of green bangles.
Gurung said, “I don’t know much about the reason for wearing green but I love to wear these green bangles.”
Likewise, Roshni Gurung said, “Wearing green makes me feel happy, it makes me feel cool, and it also boosts my self-confidence, so, I wear green in the month of Sharwan.”
Similarly, Pushpanjali Adhikari said “I am not really interested in green so I have not applied it yet, but, this month is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Shiva loves green colour, so, I wear green colour bangles to please Lord Shiva this month.”
However, astrologer Bednath Timilsina did not agree with what the women and girls say about the relations between Shrawan and green.
No scripture mentions that Shiva’s favourite colour is green, he said.
Instead, ‘Krishna Jhula’ is also held this month and Krishna and Radha wore green and yellow clothes, he said.
Like cosmetic traders, Mehndi artists are busy putting henna on the hands of women in the streets. A few women can be seen visiting parlours to put henna.