The city markets on Monday were bustling with people shopping for the Swarna Gowri and Ganesh Chaturthi festivals, which fall on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.
With an increased demand and the monsoon woes, the prices of flowers, vegetables, and fruits had skyrocketed on the eve of the festivals.
A steady price rise has been observed for the last one week. For the celebrators of festivities, the higher prices did not seem to matter much, as hardly a few complained.
At K.R. market, the price of jasmine had catapulted from ₹400 per kg to ₹1,800 per kg. This was followed by crossandra (kanakambara) which rose to ₹2,200 per kg from ₹1,500 per kg. Oleander or kanagile, which is in high demand during the Ganesh festival, also jumped from ₹100 per kg last week to ₹400 on Monday.
“I want to celebrate the festival with grandeur. Last year due to COVID-19 I couldn’t celebrate it the way I wanted, with my relatives and friends. But this year I want to celebrate it well. I know that the prices are high, but it doesn’t affect me much because the festival comes only once a year. So even if I have to pay a little more during the festive season, I do not mind,” said Vimala Gowda, a homemaker who was purchasing flowers at K.R. Market.
Vegetable prices have also seen a steep rise over the week. Beans have shot up to ₹60 per kg from ₹40 per kg, while the price of vegetables such as carrots, capsicum, and cabbage have seen an increase of ₹10 per kg at K.R. Market.
“The prices are high because of the rain. The business has not been very good, so we had to increase the prices to sustain it,” says Hamza Ali, a vegetable vendor at K.R. Market.
The prices of certain fruits also went up for the festival with pomegranates reaching ₹150 per kg and apples ₹120 per kg, and bananas ₹110 per kg.
“The prices of vegetables have been increasing for a few months, but during this time, it has become too high. As we do not have many options, during festivals, it is fine to spend a little” said Harish Rao, an accounting manager who was purchasing fruits and vegetables at K.R. Market.
