Flower prices skyrocket across Madurai and southern districts ahead of Ayudha puja

As households across Tamil Nadu prepare to celebrate Ayudha Puja and Saraswati Puja, a sharp spike in essential festival commodity prices has swept through Madurai and surrounding southern regions.

Primary among the festive inflations is a dramatic spike in flower prices, with popular varieties witnessing multi-fold jumps overnight due to a sudden surge in demand and constrained supplies.

Markets in major hubs like Madurai and Dindigul have witnessed bustling crowds since early morning, but buyers were met with staggering price tags. Premium varieties like jasmine have climbed steeply, retailing between ₹1,000 and ₹1,800 per kilogram depending on the region and market.

Meanwhile, specialty flowers like kanakambaram have hit historic highs, touching up to ₹2,000 per kilogram in districts like Thanjavur. Other puja staples, including mullai, chrysanthemum, and paneer roses, have also doubled or tripled in price compared to non-festive weeks.

Traders and local vendors attribute the steep escalation to a classic festive demand-supply mismatch, compounded by recent weather conditions affecting crop yields in agricultural belts.

“The demand for floral decorations and traditional worship spikes intensely during Ayudha Puja,” explained a wholesale flower merchant at Madurai’s flower market. “With continuous rain in some growing districts impacting transport and arrivals, the limited stock coming into the markets is selling out instantly at higher rates,” he added.

Beyond floral markets, the inflationary crunch has extended to other core components of the celebrations. Essential festival items like puffed rice, bananas, and seasonal fruits have recorded substantial price bumps.

While farmers enjoy a temporary benefit from high market prices, everyday consumers and small-scale business owners are left bearing the heavy brunt of inflated costs.

As families rush to complete their festive preparations amidst high costs, this year’s Ayudha Puja serves as a stark reminder of how seasonal spikes continue to test the resilience of everyday household budgets.