The festive frenzy city never got to spare a breath of peace as just four days after the Durga Puja ended; the devotees are once again ready to celebrate Laxmi Puja on Sunday next even as the goddess of wealth is worshipped in households.
With maximum number of household Pujas, the celebration mood is in high spirit across the state.
Despite increase in the vegetable production, the price rise continues to haunt the common people ahead of Laxmi Puja.
While cucumber is selling at Rs 50 per kg, price of collie flower stands at Rs 80 and cabbage is being sold at Rs 50 per kg, according to MG Bazaar vendors.
Prices of two most important vegetables- potato and onion show upward trend. While potato, chandramukhi variety, is being sold at Rs 40 per kg, the onion is hovering at Rs 60 per kg.
Besides, prices of almost all the vegetable hovers from Rs 60 to Rs 80 per kg causing trouble to common people during the festive season. The price of chili is the highest with Rs 200 per kg.
“Usually, we find price rise during the festival season but this time prices of vegetables touch all-time high. In fact, we have to spend more that of our budge”, said Pramod Dutta who is all set to worship Goddess Laxmi.
Not only Dutta, there are several common people who are literally scared over the sky rocketing price hike in the festive season.
“It seems everything is going out of common people’s purchasing capacity. Soaring price rise prompts us to reduce the budget for worshipping of Goddess Laxmi”, claimed Bimal Das.
“I am really scared thinking about the prices of essential items and vegetables in the local markets. In spite of the sky rocketing price hike, we are bound to worship the Goddess Laxmi with limited arrangement”, lamented Raju Deb.
When contacted, a vegetable vender, however, saw no abnormality in the price of vegetables. “Prices come down during November with plenty of supply of vegetables”, he added. However, daily wage earners are not far behind in celebrating the festival either.
Meanwhile, the demand for flowers in the town peaked two-day before the culmination of Laxmi Puja celebrations despite a steep rise in prices. Lotus, offered to Goddess Laxmi, was available in abundance and also the most sought after flower in the last few days.
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