TIRUPATI: With Vinayaka Chavithi just 48 hours away, prices of clay Vinayaka idols, puja materials, flowers, and fruits in Tirupati have soared, putting a financial strain on devotees.
Traders have sharply increased rates, prompting calls for government intervention to ensure fair pricing. Flower prices, particularly, are touching the sky, adding to the worries of people struggling to manage festive expenses.
Devotees are urging authorities to intervene and ensure fair pricing during the festive season. Gandhi Road, the main bazaar, witnessed heavy crowds on Monday as people rushed to buy festival items. Small unpainted clay idols sell for a minimum of Rs 150, while painted idols range from Rs 200 to Rs 3,000 depending on size, colours, and decorations. Decorative umbrellas for idols cost Rs 50-Rs 100.
Flowers are expensive, with prices starting at Rs 200- Rs 300 per kg; roses sell for around Rs 400 per kg. Many varieties are imported from Bengaluru, and high demand has further inflated prices. Fruits, often offered as naivedyam, have crossed Rs 300 per kg. Families face a minimum expenditure of Rs 3,000 on festival purchases, burdening middle-class and poor households.
Large clay idols for street installations are also costly. N Padmanabam, organiser of the Vinayaka Chaturthi Committee of MR Palli, said, “We purchased an 8-foot clay Vinayaka idol for Rs 42,000 from makers in Doddipalli, Chittoor outskirts, whereas the same idol is being sold for Rs 60,000 in Tirupati.”
Many committees are approaching idol makers in Chittoor to cut costs. Police have set up barricades and are diverting traffic at junctions where festival materials are sold by roadside vendors.