Flower markets in Thoothukudi bloom with surging prices ahead of Ayudha Puja

Flower prices in Thoothukudi, Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari & Tenkasi surged 25% ahead of Ayudha Puja & Soorasamharam. Plantain leaves, fruits & other puja materials also sold briskly. Heavy rain in Kanniyakumari & Tenkasi caused deserted flower markets in morning, but steady footfall in evening. Rameswaram saw brisk sale of flowers due to pilgrims visiting Ramanathaswamy Temple.

The price of jasmine, sampangi, rose and other varieties of flowers shot up by 25% on Sunday after the flower markets in Thoothukudi registered a high influx of customers ahead of the Ayudha Puja on Monday.

Flower merchants said jasmine was sold at ₹700 or ₹800 per kg until three days ago. Now the price has skyrocketed to ₹1,000 or ₹1,200 per kg, they said, adding that other varieties of flowers are also in demand. The merchants in Palayamkottai and Tirunelveli, too, recorded similar surge in price.

With sparse rainfall recorded in the district over the past few days, the flowers were procured from Madurai and NIlakottai.

Since the morning of Sunday, hawkers in the district have been witnessing brisk sale of plantain leaves, fruits and other puja materials.

With Dasara celebrations drawing to an end on Monday and ahead of the ‘Soorasamharam’ to be conducted in Kulasekarapattinam on Tuesday, customers are expected to flock the flower markets in the district in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the flower markets in Kanniyakumari and Tenkasi districts wore a deserted look in the morning hours due to heavy downpour. However, steady footfall of customers was witnessed in the evening hours of Sunday.

In Rameswaram, the sale of flowers was brisk with pilgrims arriving at the holy town to visit the famous Ramanathaswamy Temple.