Thai witches a big hit among Indian kids

Creepy witches on broom sticks are flying into Indian houses with children brought up on the magic of the Harry Potter books taking a fancy to the old crones in pointed hats and flowing black robes. Among other exciting things at the India International Trade Fair 2009, Thai witch dolls have proved to be a hit among children. " The witch dolls were the first one to attract the customers to my stall. We are about to finish our stock much ahead of the end of the fair," Krittika Nidhiphapa, owner of Knack Artificial Flower shop of Bangkok, told UNI. She said the stall had already sold about 100 pieces. "Only two are left that too because of their smaller size. I am sure even if we had brought double the stock, the demand would have been the same," Nidhiphapa, who has a stall in the Thailand pavilion, the partner nation at the fair this year, said. Asked if she felt that some people were hesitant to buy these dolls because of their evil connotations, she exclaimed, "No, not at all! They are taking it home only as a toy." Available in various sizes priced and between Rs 150 and Rs 600, the witch dolls in cotton fabric, have been designed skillfully to represent the witches in cartoon serials and animated movies. "The witch dolls are selling so well here in India because this land is full of Harry Potter fans. When they see them here at the stall, they actually call it by Potter's witch professor's name and start playing with it," Sunny, working at another Thailand stall, said.

Sunny added that there were other dolls, including fairies, angels and jokers, to name a few, on the shelves. ''But no comparison of the witches with them in terms of selling,'' he added. Asked if she was scared of witches, 10-year-old Sanjana Kant said, "I'll put the doll at the top of my bedside near the night lamp so that it can look more natural in dim light." Smita Kapoor, mother of seven-year-old Sushant, said, "It's a modern and scientific world. Why should I deprive my son of anything just because of somebody else's superstitious belief?"

-- (UNI) -- 24DI13.xml

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