Sankranti festival: Groundnut, sesame prices reduced

Bengaluru: In different parts of Karnataka, Ellu-Bella, or a mixture of white sesame seeds, chopped dried coconut, roasted groundnuts, roasted chana dal, and jaggery, as well as Sakkare Achchu, or sugar figurines, are given as gifts to friends and family members. Ellu Bella (Sesame-jaggery) mixture, sugar figurines or Sakkare Achchu for children have arrived in the market for Sankranti festival. Sankranti will be celebrated all over the country on Sunday, January 15. Therefore, people are ready to buy sesame-jaggery and sugar figurines individually. Thus, there is a shopping market for the purchase of festival materials.

Sankranti means the harvesting festival. This time the state has witnessed good rainfall everywhere and the crop is good. Thus, compared to last year, this time the price of groundnut, coconut and sesame has slightly decreased. In Jayanagar Shopping Complex, Gandhi Bazar, Malleshwaram, Yeshwantpur, Rajajinagar, Kengeri Upanagar, Madiwala in most of the city's places have opened separate stores for the sale of sesame, jaggery and sugar figurines. Colorful decorative pots and plates have also arrived to give Ellu-Bella to friends and family, which are attracting the buyers.

It is a tradition for some people to put sugar figurine chain on children and perform aarti for them on Sankranti day. Thus, Sugar chains are also in demand in the market, each chain is sold at Rs 100 to Rs 120." It does not dissolve if worn around the neck, says one of the store owners, Karthik L B from Gandhi Bazaar.

Compared to last year, the prices have decreased slightly this year. The price of jaggery was fixed last year and was above Rs 600 per kg. Karthik said that this time it is a good crop and the price of coconut has reduced by Rs 100 per kg.

"Year on year price increase in commodity price is normal. This time we are more burdened by the increase in the price of labour and plastic covers. We used to pay Rs 100 per person per day for preparing Sakkare Achchu, preparing coconut-jaggery slices and roasting them. Now we have to pay Rs 200 to Rs 300," said T Nagarathna of Mahalakshmi Kumkum Stores, Jayanagar Shopping Complex.