lucknow

Updated: Apr 14, 2017 14:33 IST

Gone are the days when saffron used to be a trademark colour of ‘sadhus’ and priests at the temples. After the thumping victory of Bharatiya Janata Party in assembly polls, donning ‘bhagwa’ or saffron is fast becoming a fad among youths in Uttar Pradesh.

‘Painting the state saffron’ trend began soon after Yogi Adityanath was sworn in as chief minister.

Lucknow being the state capital and also housing BJP’s state headquarters, the ‘colour’ is much visible here these days. The colleges are the most common places where the youth brigade, donning in saffron can be easily spotted. “The saffron colour is in trend, every second person is going for saffron clothes,” said Suyash Tripathi, a student at Lucknow University.

“Besides saffron tees, caps, sunglasses and scarf are the most common accessories youths are opting for,” he added.

“Earlier, carrying a white scarf in summers was quite a common thing in UP as it was believed to shield people from the heat stroke, but after the BJP came to power, the white colour is replaced by the saffron that was never used to be the liking of the youths,” said Manish Tripathi, a fashion designing undergraduate from NIFT, Delhi, who also owns a brand AntarDesi.

The cost of a saffron shirt near BJP headquarter is just Rs 100, a cap is for Rs 50 and wristband is of Rs 25. ( Subhankar Chakraborty/ HT Photo )

Tripathi, who is also an adviser for India Handloom brand for ministry of textile, said, “It is, in fact, good news for the BJP government as people have started supporting them by wearing the saffron-colour attires.”

Now youths can be seen flaunting saffron scarf, either wrapped around their head or neck. It can also be seen as a trickle-down fashion theory where masses adopt the colours from their idols, added Tripathi, who hails from Lucknow.

Other than the scarf that is easily available at Rs 50, the saffron shirts too is in vogue.

In the state capital, the shops outside the BJP’s headquarter is a common place where saffron clothes and other accessories are easily available at cheap prices. The cost of a saffron shirt here is just Rs 100, a cap is for Rs 50 and wristband is of Rs 25.

Other than these, the roadside shops in Hazratganj market and Aminabad are piled on with saffron clothes of different designs and patterns.

Eminent fashion designer Asma Hussain, however, has a different take on the saffron use. She says that it was always in vogue. “The colour was more common among Muslims than Hindus,” says the owner of Asma Hussain Institute of Fashion Technology.

She said, “I often find it hard to sell saffron colour to customers belonging to the Hindu community. They reject it by saying that it will match with the attire of a priest. Whereas in Muslims, the colour is easily acceptable as its shades are prominently used in pre-wedding ‘Manjha’ ceremony.”