Price rise and recession coupled with untimely rain and the cyclone Phailin, which hit the eastern States of India during Durga Puja celebrations, is now having its toll on the residents of the Tri City who are preparing for Chhath, a festival dedicated to the Sun God.
People from Bihar and eastern UP, who have been preparing for Chhath, are now bearing the brunt of the skyrocketing prices, of all commodities required during the course of Sun worship. This has resulted into a sharp fall in offerings mend for the Sun God, and most basket which will be raised as offering are holding bare minimum.
“The exorbitant price of bamboo basket has pushed me out of my wits,” says Amit Sharma, a Government employee. “Earlier they used to cost around Rs100 but this year the lowest price is around Rs250. I don’t know how people are affording them.”
Bamboo basket is needed during the Chhath festival because the devotees put the offering for the Sun god in it and raise it above their head, while offering it to both the setting and the rising Sun as a gesture of respect for all the bounties showered by it on earth.
Another essential commodity banana has dampened many spirits with its price. Dilawar, a banana trader in Sector 26 market said, “Normally for the past few days banana price have been hovering around Rs60 to Rs80 per dozen. But this is the month of festivities and the demands for Banana have been high. As a result there is a fluctuation
in prices.”
The bananas in Chandigarh, arrives from Bhusawal a place in Maharashtra. However when there is a surge in demand of the fruit, produce from Andhra Pradesh comes for the rescue. But this year due to Phailin, the crop in Andhra has suffered and even due to flooding of many railway tracks, the crop has failed to make its way to places where there has been a huge demand for the same.
Janaki, a construction worker who is celebrating Chhath for the first time almost broke into tears while talking to this reporter. She came to the market to shop for the festival with her husband. “He is shouting on me for every item I am purchasing. After my mother-in-law passed last year, the baton for maintaining the tradition of the puja has passed
on to me.”
“I am not well acquainted with the customs but I asked an elderly woman who has been performing the puja for quite sometime in Bapu Dham colony, where I stay, and she gave me a list of essential things. It is not my fault that every damn thing she mentioned in the list is overly priced,” added Janaki.
When this reporter spotted the couple, they were having a fight over buying sugarcane. A single stick of sugarcane, with little red rot, is priced Rs20, and the best of the lot is going for around Rs50 to Rs60 per piece. All Janaki’s husband wanted was to buy single sugarcane, but the list mentioned minimum of two is required.
Dashrath Sinha of Nayagaon is caught in a different dilemma. “My mother is celebrating Chhath from my house this year, and most of my relatives have thronged my place. During Chhath, we don’t consume onions, garlic and ginger. But bottle gourd, kheer and puris are a must,” he added.
“A bottle of refined oil is pried at Rs180 per liter. last time I bought a bottle, it was around Rs100, some two months back,” said Dashrath. “I don’t know when Rs80 was added to its price but all I know is that it will take me months to manage my budget,” added a sullen-faced Dashrath.
Even the traders are not happy. Sonu, a fruit trader in Sector 26 said that profit has dipped and people are not buying in bulk.
“Customers come and shout on us, but it is not our fault. The transportation charges have increased and even the labourers are demanding more money which has added up to the whole sale price. Hence, the prices of all the things are going up, even we are helpless,” he said.