The city wore a festive look on the eve of Varalakshmi Vratam to be performed on the auspicious second Friday of the Telugu calendar month Sravanam. The PW market, and the fruit and flower market at Nehru Park and the Municipal Corporation office were packed since morning with people coming to purchase fruits, flowers and other essentials for the celebration of the festival.
With the huge demand for flowers, traders jacked up prices significantly. For instance, chrysanthemums which are available at ₹400 per kg normally were sold at ₹600. Marigold flowers were sold at ₹150-200 a kg as against ₹120 and roses at ₹400 as against ₹250. Each coconut was priced around ₹40 while its normal price was ₹25. Apples, and black grapes were sold at ₹200 a kg.
Meanwhile, the Ashtalakshmi temple at Ayyannapeta, the Kanyakaparameswari temple, the Pyditalli Ammavari temple and other temples made elaborate arrangements for Kumkum Puja and other special rituals from Friday morning to evening.
