It isn’t just flowers and fruits that are flaunting a hefty price tag. The rituals behind Varamahalakshmi vrata involve silver figurines of Lakshmi on a ‘kalasa’, and their prices too have gone up, thanks to the increase in prices of precious metals.
Bengaluru/Kolar: It is a festival Friday for many households across the city. And festivals immediately translate to kilos and kilos of flowers, fruits and sweets. But this year around, those shopping for these commodities ahead of Varamahalakshmi and Onam were in for a shock.
With a kg of ‘kanakambara’ going for a whopping Rs. 1,600 from its earlier modest pricing of Rs. 300, and jasmine being sold for Rs. 800 a kg, that too at the wholesale markets. Shoppers had to dig deep into their pockets to celebrate the festivals.
K. Sarojini from Banaswadi took a bus ride to reach K.R. Market to buy flowers for the festival. “I was shocked to hear the price of flowers at the market which was 10 times more than what it was on Wednesday,” lamented the homemaker.
According to G.M. Diwakar, president, K.R. Market Traders’ Association, the price for a kg of jasmine escalated to Rs. 800 on Thursday compared to Rs.150 to Wednesday. “Every year, this is the case with retail vendors escalating prices to cash-in on the festival season,” he added. Interestingly, prices reduced to half post 3 p.m. at some outlets at the big market in the city. However, many vendors maintained the fat price tag.
Same was the case in Kolar too. Several varieties of roses, such as button rose, which was sold at Rs.100 to Rs. 120 per kg only a couple of days ago, were being sold at Rs. 300 to Rs. 320 a kg on Thursday at the flower market in Kolar.
However, notwithstanding the high price, people, especially women, were seen flocking the market to purchase various kinds of flowers to add a touch of beauty and fragrance to the festivals.
