Sravana maasam, an auspicious month in the Telugu calendar, began on a festive note on Monday even as fears loom over an impending third wave of COVID-19.
Women in the city are gearing up to celebrate ‘Varalakshmi Vratham’, a much-awaited festival that falls on the second Friday of Sravana maasam (August 20 this year).
Fruit and flower markets in the city have begun attracting customers in huge numbers. The wholesale flower market near Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC), Kaleswara Rao Market, and Vastralatha have seen a large number of customers shopping for essentials for Sravana maasam.
However, most of the festival shoppers seem to have let down their guard against COVID-19 as they were seen without their masks, crowding the shops without regard for social distancing norms.
This auspicious month is also famous for the purchase of gold and silver. The sale of gold and silver, however, remained sluggish. People tend to buy gold and silver during auspicious months but not in Aashadam, and on Amavasya, (new moon day). As Sunday happened to be Amavasya, jewellery shops saw few customers, explained shopkeepers.
S. Appa Rao, a vendor at the wholesale flower market, said flower prices are likely to go up in the next couple of days as the season picks up. Prices have already crossed ₹50 to ₹80 for half a kg depending upon the quality and variety, he said.
