Mysuru: Beginning tomorrow, the festival season has arrived. Women are flocking various markets in the city to buy puja articles, fruits and vegetables as it is Varamahalakshmi festival tomorrow. Everyone is eager to propitiate the Goddess of Wealth — Lakshmi — so that there is prosperity at home.

Once the festivals are here, the rates are bound to skyrocket. Seeing the demand and the gullibility of people to appease the gods, the market forces dictate terms. Star of Mysore did a reality check at the Devaraja Market and other places to know the prices of flowers, fruits and vegetables for tomorrow’s festival, even as the morning rush picked up, and this is what wefound.

The delicate looking Kanakambra flower is being sold at a whopping Rs. 1,000 a kg while the famous Mysuru Mallige is sold at Rs. 800 a kg. Other flowers like roses, marigold, Suganda Raja, Chrysanthemum are being sold at Rs. 240 to Rs. 320 a kg. A rose garland costs Rs 250 while other flower garlands are sold at Rs. 150. The lotus flower is also in demand and sold at Rs. 10 for a small flower and Rs. 20 to Rs. 30 for bigger ones.

Salim of Mahamud Dawood flower stall told SOM that the business yesterday was dull but was likely to pick up today. Coming to fruits, the apple prices have really not gone up, it costs Rs. 160 a kg and the foreign apples could cost about Rs. 180 a kg. Grapes and sapotas are sold at Rs. 100 a kg, pineapple Rs. 60 a kg. The yalakki plantain’s price has gone up to Rs. 100 a kg. But people selling plantains outside the Devaraj Market at Chikkagadiyara are selling it at Rs. 50 a bunch. Sudha, a resident of D. Subbaiah Road told SOM that the rates have definitely gone through the roof but one had no choice but to buy all the items needed for puja and that includes fruits, flowers and vegetables.

The vegetable prices are also seeing a upward trend. Beans, carrot and capsicum are all sold at Rs. 60 a kg, drumsticks also cost the same price. However, the price of tomato has come down to Rs. 30 to Rs. 40 (earlier Rs. 80) a kg. Potato is sold at Rs. 20 a kg and onions at Rs. 25 a kg. A bunch of coriander leaves was being sold for Rs. 10.

But Varamahalakshmi is the festival of and for women. However, the bangles shops were looking dull as there were not many women takers.

The Police were seen making announcements on loudspeakers warning people to watch their pockets and purses as the pickpockets were loitering around for the kill. The stretch of Sayyaji Rao Road between K.R. Circle and Ayurveda Circle saw a lot of rush with two-wheelers and four-wheelers jostling for space.