Bhubaneswar sees sudden spike in sindoor sales after India’s anti-terror operation in Pakistan

The sale of sindoor saw a sudden rise in several shops across the Bhubaneswar city just a day after India carried out targeted strikes on terror camps in Pakistan under ‘Operation Sindoor’.

On Wednesday morning, many shopkeepers noticed a sharp increase in people buying sindoor (vermilion), traditionally used by married women, as a symbolic way to celebrate the military action.

In different parts of the city, including housing complexes and open public spaces, people gathered with the Indian flag and sindoor to show their support for the armed forces and pride in the nation.


"This is a proud moment for all Indians. Even though sindoor is usually worn by women, we put it on our clothes and faces to honour our soldiers," said Abhisek Tripathy, a college student who joined one of the celebrations.

Akhaya Das, who owns a stationery shop in Bhubaneswar’s Chandrasekharpur area, said he had only 40 small packets of sindoor left when a customer came and bought all of them. "When I asked why, he told me it was for Operation Sindoor," Das said.

Grocery shop owner Prahalada Swain also saw something similar. "On normal days, I sell about 10 or 15 packets. But by Wednesday afternoon, I had sold over 45 packets. It was surprising but heartening," he said.

Across the city, many citizens marked the occasion by applying sindoor tilaks (marks on the forehead), calling it a symbol of support for the brave soldiers. "This is our small way of standing with them. Sindoor also represents the blood and sacrifice of our armed forces," said Sujit Mahapatra, another local resident.

Cultural expert Pradyumna Khatua said that this response was a natural show of emotion from the people. "In our culture, sindoor is linked to victory and strength. People are using it to express their feelings during this important moment," he explained.

Backing the public's reaction, retired SP Santosh Nayak said such support lifts the spirits of the armed forces. "It’s a reminder that the entire country is standing with them," he said.

Inputs from TOI