Chhath CDs at a music store in Ranchi find few takers on Monday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

It was tradition for Chhath vratis to sing or listen to devotional songs while preparing thekua, the sweet prasad offered to the sun god, but times have undergone a tech twist.

Today, a large chunk of devotees in Ranchi prefers to either download MP3 music or buy Chhath CDs online. And, bearing the brunt are music store owners in the city.

“Customers are a trickle this Chhath. There is almost no demand for MP3 discs since songs can easily be downloaded — and often for free — from a bevy of Bhojpuri music sites that have come up in recent times,” said Tapan Ghosh, owner of Ghosh Musicals, a leading store near Albert Ekka Chowk.

Ghosh said they had stocked up over 100 Chhath CDs. “More than 80 are still lying on the shelves. We are selling only one of the popular albums of of Anuradha Paudwal for Rs 30 and a couple of others like Chhathi Maiya Ghar Udeli or Jeet Chhathi Mai Ki.”

Ghosh added that last year, too, the demand was not very encouraging. “But, we had still registered 50 per cent sales,” he recalled.

According to another music shop owner, popular online stores like www.infibeam.com , www.songsbhojpuriya.blogspot.com and mp3bhojpuri.com have dented their once solid customer base.

“The MRP of Chhath Puja ke Geet (MP3) is Rs 35. If one gets the CD for the same price online, why would one walk all the distance to a shop. Sometimes, online stores have good deals too,” he rued.

Homemaker Malini Rai agreed, albeit happily. “Snapdeal is offering up to 25 per cent discount. I bought a set of three CDs for just Rs 749 while the MRP is Rs 1,000,” she said.

Vinod Kumar Sahu, the owner of Music Point near St Xavier’s College, pointed out that online downloads were far more cheaper.

“A cyber cafe will charge you just Rs 10 for an hour’s Internet use. All you need is a pen drive. Our sales have indeed been hit. What can we do?” Sahu complained.

Namkum resident Manoj Prasad, who was one of the handful customers at Ghosh Musicals, summed up the current Chhath trend. “My son has downloaded most songs from Bhojpuri sites and made me a CD. I have just come here to purchase one by Sharda Sinha,” he said.