Residents enjoy at a dandiya night in Patna and (above) the jewellery collection available at Chandra Gupta’s boutique, Riddhi Siddhi, at Mithapur. Pictures by Sachin and Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Oct. 3: Two sticks of dandiya have come a long way from Gujarat and kept residents of the state capital captivated with myriad promises of fun, frolic and dance.

Relatively new in the state, dandiya nights became popular in the past seven to eight years, with annual events organised by groups and clubs. Simmi Shailendra, the vice-president of Inner Wheel Club of Patna, is a dandiya fan. She told The Telegraph: “The fun trebles when we play dandiya in large groups. Every year, my family members and I make it a point to attend a dandiya night during Navratra in the city.”

Competitions are also organised in several colleges, where students participate with only one aim — to win. Magadh Mahila College’s Sharad Utsav this year saw psychology department students Arya and group bag the first prize.

Residents are also treated to multiple options on Navratra with more than one event planned in a day over the city. A three-day event concluded at New Patna Club today, which is already booked for another. Lady Stephenson Hall also organised a dandiya night today. Pop group Aryans and Patna-girl Deepali of Indian Idol fame graced the event.

Sushil Poddar, the former president of Rotary Patna Mid Town who introduced dandiya nights in the city, soon became an inspiration for other organisations. He said: “I had never thought that dandiya nights would gain so much in popularity in the city.”

The popularity of dandiya nights has also boosted the trade of shopkeepers and boutique owners. Multi-coloured and designer dandiya sticks are complemented by colourful traditional bandhej outfits for a night of fun.

Riddhi Siddhi, a boutique in Mithapur in Patna, is a must-visit store for residents eager to dance away the nights during Navratra.

The boutique, known for its traditional Gujarati outfits — bandhej chaniya choli for women and bandhej kedia outfits for men — is a hit with the residents.

Owner of Riddhi Siddhi, Chandra Gupta, said: “Colourful bandhej chaniya choli decorated with heavy embroidery and mirror work or block prints and low back is definitely a hit during the Navratra.” This year, the store is packed with residents of all ages, especially school and college students.

Ecstatic with the rising trend for dandiya nights, Chandra said: “Dandiya nights were not so popular even a few years back but now it has gained in momentum. Earlier, people who came to the boutique were hardly choosy about their outfits but now they have become very conscious about their look for dandiya nights. They even accessorise their outfit with the choicest silver-oxidised jewellery available at the store.”

In the past two months, Chandra has received close to 250 orders from residents for customised bandhej outfits. Chandra said: “Some customers come with designs of their own that they gather from magazines or other sources. But we always take care to maintain differences while designing the various outfits.”

Chandra’s boutique is a Godsend for residents, who often prefer not to buy dandiya outfits every year but just rent to be able to go with the recent fashion. You can go into Riddhi Siddhi and buy traditional bandhej chaniya choli between Rs 300 and Rs 3,000. If you are in a mood to rent, then you would just have to shell out Rs 250 to Rs 850 per day depending on the outfit. Chandra said: “Very few customers buy outfits for dandiya these days, as they don’t like to repeat the same costume every year. It is better for them to rent.”