Phool khile hain.. Defying price hike, people throng Ghazipur flower market on Diwali

Diwali, the auspicious festival of lights, seems to be really happy for almost everyone as they gear up to celebrate the occasion.

To mark the festival and feel the vibes, people decorate their houses with light, colourful rangolis and flowers. These colorful flowers beautify the houses and offices wherever they are placed.

Although people are seeing inflation and a rise in price, people still throng the flower mandi in national capital's Ghazipur to purchase flowers.

After the flower price hike on Monday, the marigolds now cost Rs 400 to 800 per bundle, chrysanthemums at the rate of Rs 300 per bundles, lotus and bamboo plants are for Rs 300 each and Rose is also around Rs 300-400 per kg. Each bundle of the flower conisist of 20 garlands.

One of the customers here, Hemant Dikshit said that the price of flowers have slightly increased during this Diwali as compared to the last year ones and called it a "worth hike".

A shopkeeper with Lotus flowers Dhanprakash said that though he faced huge losses in previous days, the sale on Diwali was unexpectedly good.

"I am a farmer and sell my flowers in this Mandi. This year lotus is expensive and its yield has also increased. After the Covid, the market this year is full of customers. We did not even presume that such a benefit would be availed," he said.

A Muzaffarnagar farmer Naresh said that he has got a "handsome amount" by selling all his marigolds, another farmer said that he could not get much benefits as he had to pay for maintenance in cold storage.

"I had put my flowers in cold storage because of bad weather but today when I sold them I could not avail many benefits because we had to pay for maintenance in cold storage," he said.

Meanwhile, a shopkeeper Praveen Kumar said that it was the first time sunce the Covid that the market has opened freely and people have arrived to make a purchase.

"In my shop, there are a variety of flowers. After the covid, market has been free for the first time and the people are also coming to purchase them. As compared with the business during last two years, this year's business is way better," Praveen Kumar said.

Every year, Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs all celebrate Diwali to symbolise the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and joy over despair.

Deepavali, popularly known as the festival of lights, is celebrated nationwide with great pomp. People perform puja, observe rituals, decorate their homes with diyas, rangoli, ornaments, and lights, enjoy delectable sweets and meals, dress in new traditional attire, and more.

Hindu mythology states that Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya on Diwali after slaying Ravana and spending 14 years in exile. People make wishes for health, wealth, and prosperity to the gods Lakshmi, Ganesh and Kubera as part of the festival of lights.

Due to the solar eclipse on October 25, 2022, Chhoti Diwali and Badi Diwali will be celebrated on the same day, i.e., Monday, October 24, 2022 in some parts of the world.

The festival is observed during the Hindu lunisolar month of Kartika and typically lasts five days or six in some parts of India. The Lakshmi puja muhurat will begin at 06:53 pm and end at 08:15 pm on October 24. Additionally, the Amavasya tithi will last from 05:27 pm on October 24 to 04:18 pm on October 25.

( With inputs from ANI )