The city markets wore a festive look on Thursday as many headed to rythu bazaars, shops and jewellery stores to make last-minute purchases for ‘Varalakshmi Vratam’, celebrated on the second Friday of ‘Sravana masam’ before the full moon day.
Men and women were seen bargaining with vendors to no effect while procuring flowers, fruits, coconuts, banana sapling and other puja material at rythu bazaars. A medium-size coconut was priced at ₹ 25, a pair of banana saplings was sold for ₹ 30, 100 grams of flowers such as roses and chamanthi (chrysanthemum) were sold for ₹ 50 to ₹70.
Cashing in on the festival demand, roadside vendors were jacking up the prices of the stuff used for puja. “Normally, I spend about ₹400 every week for vegetables, fruits and flowers. However, today I ended up spending 30% extra for the flowers and fruits alone,” says Sri Raghu Ram, shopper at the rythu bazaar.
A few who visited the markets need to make do with half of the quantity required for the ‘vratam’ as the puja items sold at various markets turned out to be quite expensive. A dozen bananas were sold at ₹60 and a small bundle of mango leaves at ₹10.
Showrooms and malls witnessed heavy rush as many follow the tradition of buying gold coins, jewellery and clothes for ‘Varalakshmi vratham’.
“I have to wait for more than an hour to buy just one-gram Lakshmi coin at a jewellery store,” says A. Kumari, a home-maker.
Jewellery outlets saw a steady stream of customers as many wanted to purchase ‘Lakshmi kasu’ (gold coin), gold ornaments, silver mandaps, Ashta-Lakshmi chombu (kalash) and a pair of lamps to celebrate the ‘vratam’.