Navratna karva goes for Rs 3.4 lakh

LUCKNOW: No Karva Chauth is complete without the karva (urn) and for the city that does all things royally, it was only natural to graduate from silver karvas to commissioning a Navratan Karva (nine gems) in pure gold.
While this is not the first time that gold and silver markets in the city have seen a rise in demand around festivals, despite the escalating prices, the Navratan Karva which fetched a whopping Rs 3.46 lakh has definitely raised the bar for luxury celebrations.
The special, made-to-order karva is also touted as being the first piece with 916 purity -- the highest form of gold purity in the world -- to come out of Lucknow.
Studded with diamond, ruby, emerald, yellow sapphire, blue sapphire, turquoise, pearl, red coral and cat's eye gemstones, the Navratna karva weighs 121 grams. “It was custom-made for a Gupta family in Raniganj in Tharu, Rajasthan, in around 20 days,” said Adeesh Jain, organisation secretary of Uttar Pradesh Sarafa Association. “The family wanted a piece not just for Karva Chauth but one they could use otherwise also as a mangal kalash,” he said.
Meanwhile, silver Lakhnavi Karvas are still doing brisk business. “The Lakhnavi Karva has a specialty of being light weight, though it appears to be heavy. The Nakkashi work is also a favourite over other types like Kalkatiya Karwa and Kolhapuri Karva,” said Naveen Rastogi, a jeweler in Hazaratganj.
The price of the Lakhnavi Karva starts from Rs 6,000 and goes up to Rs 2 lakh with a maximum weight of 200 grams. Made in Lucknow itself, the typical flower-and-leaf embossed work has maintained its charm from the Nawabi era. “The 33-gram Lakhnavi Karva, if replicated in Kalkatiya or Kolhapuri, can weight about 100 gms. So its light weight is an asset,” said Kailesh Singh Jain Saraf, president of Uttar Pradesh Sarafa Association.
The Kalkatiya karva, on the other hand, is a mostly solid item, between 100 grams and 1kg and priced between Rs 5000 and Rs 50,000. It is sometimes embossed with a Swastik or Om symbol. The Kolhapuri karva too is a solid one with a bit of Nakkhashi which can go up to Rs 60,000.
Katha on app
A free to download smartphone application, Karva Chauth Katha has come to the rescue of many of those in nuclear families and observing Karva Chauth. The app, which includes the ritualistic Savitri Katha, also includes tips to dress up for Karva Chauth, the moon timings, information about the ritual and other practical information such as the puja methodology. “Since I am a working woman, living on my own, I was worried about my first Karva Chauth this year. This app is a saviour,” said Shweta Agarwal.
Mehngi mehndi
Come Karva Chauth and Mehndi prices in the city go for a toss. Earning a meagre Rs 70-150 on a regular day for a hand, the price of henna on hand by the sidewalk mehndiwallah goes up to Rs 1,000 and more for one hand. For a fancier setup, the price of a single hand, which is generally around Rs 500 shoots up to Rs 3,000-5,000. On the eve of Karva Chauth, a full bridal mehndi is priced at Rs 10,000.