City devotees of Lakshmi feel the pinch

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 15: Along with the rest of the State and the country, the flame-lit households in Guwahati wear a veil of soft, mild and serene illumition this evening. This is believed to be the cosy ambience for Srilakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune.

If the Durga Puja is associated with pomp and gaiety, the Lakshmi Puja is marked by serenity. While the Durga Puja is mostly organized by the general public together, Srilakshmi Puja is organized by almost every Hindu family.

Along with mild illumition, colourful motifs, sacred art or painting done on a horizontal surface called Alpa is an essential part of this puja. Footprints of incoming Goddess Lakshmi are also used nowadays as such readymade footprints are available in the market. The devotees pray for prosperity and wellbeing of their families.

Devotees in the city and elsewhere in the State have to feel the pinch in making all arrangements for the Lakshmi Puja today. Every material that is considered a must for the Lakshmi Puja is sold at a price in the city which is higher than what it was last year. Anil Baishya from Hajo, who did a brisk business by selling Lakshmi Puja materials in the city today, said: “Every Lakshmi Puja material is sold or procured at source at a price that’s higher than what it was last year.”

Four saplings of plantain plants is a must for every Lakshmi puja, but that can be bought by spending Rs 100. While each pair of dried coconut is sold at Rs 60-80, each piece of green coconut is sold at Rs 20, each piece of flower garland at Rs 20-100, a small bunch of basil leaves at Rs 10, a small bunch of dubori herbs at Rs 10, a small bunch of paddy seeds at Rs 10-30, each small bunch of dried firewood of mango tree for igniting the yaj at Rs 50, malbhug ba at Rs 80 a dozen, jahaji ba at Rs 50 a dozen, a dozen of champa ba at Rs 40, each piece of rovok tenga at Rs 20, a kg of apple at Rs 120-150, a kg of spatti at Rs 120, a pair of orange at Rs 10, a kg of pomegrate at Rs 180, a piece of sugarcane at Rs 40, a 200-gm packet of sugar candy at Rs 40, etc.

Both clay idols and pictures of Goddess Lakshmi have glutted the city market. While the minimum cost of a picture of the Goddess is Rs 40 that of clay idol is Rs 100. Each footprint of the Goddess is sold at Rs 10-50.