Chhath: Fruit prices surge in Patna because of monsoon floods

Patna: Like every year, the city markets have been witnessing a significant surge in the prices of fruits and other puja materials for Chhath. But this year, fruit-sellers are attributing the hike to the floods this monsoon.Nontheless, this year, even the cost of traditional baskets (soop and daura) has increased, while the prices of most fruits, except apples and bananas, skyrocketed. The prices of coconuts, water chestnuts and sugarcane saw a substantial rise compared to last year, impacting the pockets of devotees. Coconut are available for Rs 50-60 per piece, while ‘daab nimbu’ (pomelo fruit) is being sold at Rs 70 per piece and ‘sitafal’ (custard apple) at Rs 120/kg.

The price of pomegranate is around Rs 140 to Rs 240 per kg and pineapple is Rs 70-90.Meanwhile, the recent floods led to a reduced supply of local sugarcane — a must in the festival rituals. Most of the sugarcane in the city is sourced from Motihari and Bettiah, while this year, there is a substantial influx of red sugarcane from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. The price of local sugarcane rose to Rs 50-75 a pair, while the red one is priced as high as Rs 120 a pair.

A vendor near Khajpura on Nehru Path, Ramesh Mahto, said that he ordered 1,500 pieces of sugarcane from UP for the first time. “A pair of sugarcane, which was being sold around Rs 40-50 last year, is available for Rs 50 to Rs 120, according to their size and quality. The prices of raw turmeric and ginger, which arrived in the market from Pusa in Samastipur late on Friday night, are also high. Raw turmeric is being sold at Rs 40-50 per kg, around Rs 10 more than the previous year.

Ginger is available at Rs 50-60 per kg,” Mahto said.Devotees said no matter what, they will have to buy the essential items to prepare ‘daura’ and ‘soop’ (bamboo basket) as offerings to Sun god during the evening and morning ‘arghya’. “At least five fruits are required to prepare the ‘daura’. But because of higher prices, we will have to keep these fruits in lesser quantity compared to other years,” said Revati Suman, a resident of Boring Road.Meanwhile, the Chhath market brings comminities together. Aftab Alam, a fruit-seller, said that he has been selling fruits during Chhath for the past 11 years, and never faced discrimination. “We take full care of Hindu sentiments. We don’t even eat in the surrounding areas of our warehouses where we store fruits. We take special care to ensure there is no contamination,” he said.