The ‘hijab’ row is raging in neighboring states, and one cannot help but realize that Hyderabad has turned into a mini-market for burqas. Incidentally, the city happens to be a major hub for the sale of burqas in south India. And as they say, for the retailers and wholesalers, the show has to go on.

In fact, a number of shops have popped up in the last few years exclusively for the sale of burqas. And that’s not all. Hyderabad now supplies burqas to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Kerala, shares Old city traders’ association president Maqdoom Mohiuddin.

However, burqas are very popular in Hyderabad, and they come in the latest varieties and designs. Around 150 shops are located in Shehran in the old city where one can shop for the latest pattern of burqas at affordable prices. A few more shops are located in Laad Bazaar, Mallepally, and Tolichowki.

One of the shop owners reveals that local and international patterns of burqa are manufactured in workshops in the old city. A few patterns are imported from the Middle East, though on a lower scale as they are costly. Of late, the business has bloomed into a mini-industry with new patterns coming up regularly.

New designs are regularly introduced by designers mostly from Bengal. While the fancy burqas are worn for special occasions, budget ones are worn for education and work. A burqa costs anywhere between Rs 500 to Rs 2000 a piece, depending on the quality of the cloth used. Though the norm is that women opt for pre-stitched burqas, there are some who get them made to specifications.