Festive season brings business boom for Balurghat tailors

BALURGHAT: After years of decline amid the rise of online shopping and ready-made wear, traditional tailoring shops in Balurghat are seeing a strong revival this festive season. A month before Durga Puja, the once-quiet tailoring trade came alive again, with soaring demand for both men’s and women’s custom-made garments — a trend that continues even now.

From Barabazar, Kuthi Kachari, Lenin Sarani, Dunlop More and Public Bus Stand to District Hospital Road and Chakbhrigu — tailors across the town are busy catering to customers. Though these shops attract customers year-round, the rush reaches its peak during the festive season.

“We start receiving orders before Durga Puja and the crowd continues till Bhai Phonta,” said tailor Phanindranath Sarkar, while working tirelessly at his shop. Balurghat town has around a hundred tailoring shops, 10 of which are considered major establishments with separate counters for men and women wear.

“This year, the rush for women’s outfits began quite early. Compared to that, orders for men’s tailored garments are a bit fewer,” said tailor Rajkumar Saha. To deliver the finished outfits on time, most tailors are working day and night, some even staying up late to meet deadlines.

Many local tailors said the surge in orders has brought them much-needed relief after years of dwindling demand. “The pressure this year reminds me of the old days,” one tailor shared, adding that the workload now equals almost a year’s worth of business.

Residents too seem to prefer hand-stitched outfits over ready-made or online purchases, especially for the festive period that stretches from Durga Puja to Bhai Phonta. Custom designs, intricate embroidery and personal fittings have become major attractions, leading to healthy competition among craftsmen.

“Puja means new clothes,” said Biplab Kumar Saha, a well-known tailor specialising in men’s wear. “This is our most important time of the year. We’re getting around 15 to 20 new orders daily, and delivering them all on time is quite a challenge — but it feels good to be this busy again.”