Yuppies trying out matching covers for the cell phones in the city. Picture by Biju Boro

Oct. 3: This Puja, pandal-hoppers are making a designer fashion statement through their mobile handsets: the latest models blaring recent Indi-pop hits in polyphonic sounds. There’s more. The handset is flaunted, hanging from the neck in a fluorescent zipper strap and flash a disco light attached to the back every time the phone rings.

Since the last Pujas, exclusive shops have come up selling mobile accessories spawning the city’s very own club of cell-owners who are giving a new meaning to the phrase ‘upwardly mobile’.

And the Pujas this year have brought the best of the city’s mobile scene to public view with youngsters taking special care to match their handsets with their designer clothes.

Though Reliance mobile — the only service provider in the city and Shillong — stopped issuing fresh connections in mid-March, the number of mobile users in capital is over 43,000 which include both post and pre-paid customers.

For boys, and a section of the men, the belt pouch or the strap has become a must. While the pouches give less option for being “fashionable”, the strap comes with lots of frills, the latest being the zipper version which has emerged as one of the favourite items.

For ladies, short handbags with mobile holders on the sides — preferably made of net through which the handset will show — is among the hot Puja accessories to go with their trendy dresses.

Of course, there is no dearth of women who are sporting mobile straps. With the latest handsets coming with changeable front and back flaps, the upwardly mobile are really freaking out — matching the lap covers with their dresses.

Sefali Das, who has earned her first pay-cheque just before the Pujas, said: “I bought three pairs of covers for my handset to match my three new Puja dresses. If we can match our shoes and bindis, why not mobile colours?”

She admitted that she had also downloaded three new ringtones to “impress my friends”.

Deepak Kumar, a salesman at an upmarket retail store for mobile handsets, said they have witnessed a heavy rush for accessories before and during the Pujas.

A dealer attributed the latest fad to the downward trend in prices of handsets and the opening of the exclusive showrooms with the latest collections.

“The arrival of several new models with reasonably lower price tags have allowed mobile users to go for new handsets which have more features than the older ones. This is one of the main reasons for the ‘mobile fashion’,” he added.

Accessories apart, there has been a boom in picture messaging, which was not possible through the older handsets.

“It is fun...it is cool. More than text SMS, I enjoy the picture messages,” said Saurav Kakoti, an official in a private sector undertaking.

“Look at this,” he said showing an artwork of the goddess’ visage with the text Jai mata di below it. “I downloaded it and am sending it to all my friends as Puja wishes,” he added.