Inflation dampens Makara Sankranthi spirit

The women folk who were ready to welcome ‘Makara Sankranthi’, the festival of harvest, are a disappointed lot and some are also forced to change their plans and menu for the day. The sugar cane that is usually seen dumped at the markets and road corners every year, was yet to reach markets till Friday morning. Each piece which was sold for ` 10 earlier is sold at ` 20-30 per piece this year.

Cost

The sesame seeds cost ` 120 per kg, sugar candies at ` 80 per kg. Comparatively, the raw rice and tur dal, the prices of which had skyrocketed a couple of months ago was available for ` 21 and ` 60 respectively (approx). The vegetable prices which had soared recently stay put at the same price it didn’t dampen the spirit of the shoppers and they were seen buying them, rather with reluctance.

Tear jerkers

Onions are still continuing to be the strongest tear jerkers to the common man sold at ` 60 per kg, beans at ` 40, capsicum at ` 40, potato at ` 25.

The Devaraja Market, which is abuzz with activity two days prior to any festival, saw crowd only on Friday. There was huge demand for flowers as the chrysanthemum was sold at ` 30 per metre, Jasmine and Kanakambara at ` 40 per metre.

It was the vendors of ‘ellu-bella’, which is a must for Sankranthi, where women and children distribute it among the family and friends, who were doing a roaring business.