Prices soar, but festive spirit intact
A day ahead of Makara Sankranti on Saturday, markets were crowded with people shopping for ‘ellu-bella’, sugar candies and sugarcane. 
The festival, celebrated on the day the sun begins to move towards the northern hemisphere, marks the beginning of spring and decline of winter. Across India, the festival is known by different names such as Pongal, Lohri and Sukarat.
Distribution of a mixture of sesame seeds, groundnuts and jaggery is the ritual associated with the festival in Karnataka. Market places in the city saw roaring business on Saturday as people flocked for last minute purchases. It was a good day for flower and fruit vendors with the festive essentials getting dearer ahead of the festival.
However, many shopkeepers complained that though the business was fairly good, it had fallen compared to the previous year. Says Raghu, a shopkeeper in KR Market: “This time the business is at least 30 per cent less compared to the previous year. Prices of jaggery, peanuts and sesame seeds have gone up.”
Last year, Raghu sold a kg of ‘ellu bella’ for Rs 100. This time, it has gone up to Rs 140. Prices of sugar candies have also shot up. Venkatesh, another shopkeeper, says the price hike has dissuaded him from selling the traditional ellu-bella. “I haven’t kept a lot of stock this time. Peanuts have to be fried crisp for this mix. With sky high oil prices, this has become difficult. I have a few regular customers buying from our shop for years together. I am selling a limited stock for them,” he says.
This being a major festival, price rise does not stop people from celebrating. However, they have down-sized the festivities. “Earlier, I used to distribute ellu-bella to all my relatives and neighbours. Now, I will give it to only to those who visit our house on the day of the festival,” says Ratna, a shopper who visited KR Market on Saturday.
Sandhya, a mother of two school-going children, makes it a point to buy enough ellu-bella and sugarcane for her children. “It’s true that everything has become expensive. When there are children at home, festivities cannot be compromised on. My children love eating sugarcane. I mainly buy it for them,” she says.
Meanwhile, the city saw cultural events organised by various organisations on the eve of Sankranti on Saturday. Bharat Yuva Kendra organised a felicitation programme for litterateur Chandrashekhara Kambar and his wife. Noted singer Shimoga Subbanna and Lok Sabha member N Cheluvarayaswamy were among those present. The organisation also felicitated toppers of SSLC and PUC exams in 2011 on the occasion.
