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Bengaluru, March 18: With just a day left for Ugadi, festive shopping has picked up pace across Bengaluru, with a massive surge of buyers witnessed at the iconic KR Market from early morning hours.
Crowds began gathering as early as 5 AM, with people arriving from different parts of the city to purchase essential festival items such as flowers, fruits, neem leaves, and mango leaves. The rush is attributed to expectations of a further price hike on the festival day.
Traders reported a noticeable spike in prices. Jasmine flowers, which were earlier priced between ₹700 and ₹800 per kg, are now being sold between ₹1,000 and ₹1,200. Similarly, chrysanthemum prices have increased from ₹100 to nearly ₹250 per kg.
Essential Ugadi items like neem leaves and mango leaves are also witnessing steady demand, with neem leaves priced at around ₹20 per bundle and mango leaves at ₹25 per bundle.
Fruit prices have also surged, with muskmelon selling at ₹100, bananas at ₹50, grapes reaching ₹120, and pomegranates touching ₹220 per kg. Flower garlands have also become costlier amid rising demand.
Despite the price rise, shoppers continue to throng markets, preferring to buy in advance to avoid further hikes expected on Ugadi day.
Similar scenes are being reported across other markets in Bengaluru, indicating a city-wide festive rush as residents gear up to celebrate Ugadi with traditional fervour.
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