Covid pandemic brings hard time for Matabari’s traditional ‘Peda’

The Covid 19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown has brought a difficult period for the traditional ‘Peda’ traders of Tripurasundari temple. 

‘Peda’- a sweet dish prepared from Kheer and milk is one of the prime attractions  of Tripurasundari temple and devotees across the globe revere this item as an auspicious offering to Mata Tripurasundari. But, for the six months long phase wise lockdown has dealt a big blow to the ‘Peda’ traders and they feel it would take long to make up with the losses they incurred in this period. For not less than 75 days shops were closed during the lockdown.  

However, after a gap of five years, the association of ‘Peda’ traders have unanimously decided to increase the prices to Rs 440 per Kg from Rs 400 kgs. In 2015, the price was increased from Rs 350. Secretary of the organization, Subrata Roy said, “to cope up with the rapidly skyrocketing prices of essential commodities, we have decided to increase the prices by 10 percent. We are already dealing with a serious crisis. In the lockdown period when the temple has been kept closed for the devotees sales dipped to zero and it remained in the same position for many months. Only recently, we are receiving some good sales as people have started coming out of home following the restrictions”. 

According to Roy, this year the number of ‘Peda’ shops are also going to be increased from 72 to 80 and the total quantity would be one third of what it happened to be in the normal times ahead of ‘Deepavali’. “Last year 2,000 thousand Kg of Peda was prepared before Deepavali festival. This year the quantity is limited”, said Roy. 

According to statistics shared by Roy, about two hundred people are actively associated with ‘Peda’ trade that include shop owners, workers and helps hired in the shops.  Moreover, decrease in quality milk production in villages that source the traders milk also become a prime concern for them.