GADAG: We've all heard about rumour mills spinning overtime, but this one's churning out products by the mill - quite literally, and all in six yards of finery at that! Several women in Gadag are on a sari-buying spree for their nieces - thanks to a rumour that apparently says such an act will help ensure one's relatives do not stumble upon bad times.Many suspect the rumour could have been triggered by an opportunistic sari seller, looking to make a killing by playing on the sentiments of gullible customers.

However, textile merchants have refuted such claims, saying it was never their brainchild.

Even as conjectures and speculations abound, saris are flying off the shelves faster than bread and butter.Kalakavva Patil, a woman from Shirahatti, told TOI she had come to Gadag to offer a sari and 'aarti' to her niece, a college student.

"We are told that we should do this if we have only one niece.

Given that a sari costs just about Rs 500, I decided to gift a sari to my niece to make sure we all stay out of harm's way," she added.Jagadish, a salesman at a textile shop here, said women were rushing to shops in groups to purchase saris.

"They are even making video calls to their nieces to confirm their preferred options," he said, adding that a single purchase is being sealed only after browsing through 50-60 items.Jagadish's views were echoed by several other sellers in Gadag, Nargund, Laxmeshwar and other towns of the district, who too refuted the claim that the rumour over saris as antidotes to bad times was not their handiwork by any means.

"We are focusing on our business.

When customers enquire with us about the rumour, we just brush it aside," they affirmed.Subhas Koti, an astrologer, said such speculative exercises are baseless and they do not have any religious references attached to them.