With the festival of Mahanavami (Ayudha Puja) and Vijayadashami here, prices of flowers as well as festival essentials like lemon and ash gourd have touched the roof in the city markets.
From ₹10 to ₹15 per kg, the price of ash gourd has touched ₹50 to ₹60 per kg. The price of lemons is also in the same range. While other vegetables’ prices have remained stable, fruits have gotten costly on the pocket.
The price of lotus has gone from ₹900 to ₹1,650 per kg, whereas jasmine is at ₹1,400 per kg and chrysanthemum (sevanthige) is at ₹400 per kg. A mola of marigold, which is mostly used to decorate vehicles, costs ₹100 per kg. “After two years, everything has become normal. There is a huge rise in the flower prices as the demand has increased. Flowers have higher rates than fruits and vegetables” said Thimmaraj, a flower seller.
Similarly, the price of pomegranate and apple per kg is at ₹130 and ₹200 respectively, while bananas are priced at ₹65 per kg. Coconut and banana stems, which are also widely used in the festive rituals are priced at ₹35 per piece and ₹50 per pair respectively.
The price of vegetables has seen frequent fluctuations in recent months because of the rain, but for the festivals, the price has not seen a steep hike. Beans top the charts at ₹80 per kg, while carrots are priced at ₹50 per kg. Capsicum and potatoes are priced at ₹55 and ₹30 per kg respectively.
“I am not a frequent buyer of flowers, but shop for fruits and vegetables regularly. The prices of flowers are high, but we cannot stop buying them because we celebrate the festivals in a grand manner at our home. Besides, if the traders are making some profit through these sales, I do not want to bargain with them in the festive season,” said Anjali, a homemaker who was shopping in Dasarahalli market.
