Chathurthi fest: Prices of puja materials soar in TN

MADURAI: Price of puja items rose ahead of Vinayagar Chathurthi festival. People are busy preparing for the festival and flower wholesale markets at Mattuthavani in Madurai and at Nilakottai in Dindigul district, thronged with people shopping for flowers and many vendors lined the streets selling idols of Lord Vinayagar, fruits including banana, guava and a variety of flowers including hibiscus, marigold, sevanthi and marigold.

According to RKK Balu, vice president of flower merchant in Mattuthavani, prices of flowers have increased manifold over the last week because, apart from the Chathurthi scheduled on Wednesday, the day marks the beginning of the wedding season, the Valarpirai muhurtham dates until August 29.

Of the flower varieties, Kanakambaram was a high-priced one as a kilogram was sold at Rs 2,000.

A kg of jasmine fetched Rs 1,800 in the morning hours against its average market value ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 600, and gradually dipped to Rs 1,500 in evening.

Prices of other flowers, including ‘pichi’, ‘mullai’, ‘sevanthi’, ‘arali’, ‘marikolunthu’, ‘sammangi’ have more than doubled over last week.

Poo kadai Chandran alias Ramachandran from Nilakottai market said the price of ‘arugampul’ rose to an unprecedented high at Rs180 a kilo. Usually, it’s sold at a throwaway price or even free, he said.

A vendor from Paravai vegetable market in Madurai, Vaithilingam, said the price of a bundle of plantain leaves has also been jacked up to Rs 1,800 since Monday, against its price of Rs 800 last week.

Banana trader from Uthamapalayam, Theni district, I Sheik Dawood said now a kilo of njalipoovan is priced at Rs 80 against its previous farm gate price of Rs 55 and price of red banana variety also spiked to Rs 50 from Rs 40. Apart from Chathurthi, the Onam festival, which is largely celebrated by the Keralites, is lined up in the coming month, adding considerably to the price.