The last-minute bustle at Panjim’s market is a familiar symphony of tradition, but this year, a new note of concern rang through the festive air.
As families rushed to purchase fruits, vegetables, and wild forest produce for their matoli decorations, the weight of soaring prices was a topic of conversation on everyone’s lips.
The market lanes were stacked with supari (arecanuts), bananas, jackfruit leaves, turmeric plants, sugarcane, and cucumbers, all used to decorate the matoli.
At one vendor stall, Shahbaz admitted that the prices of coconut, a vital element for the matoli and pooja, have shot up to Rs 100 per piece. He attributed the steep increase to a combination of Eid festivities and supply shortages caused by heavy rains. Despite the higher cost, customers still buy, though their purchases are noticeably smaller.
A vendor selling bunches of supari (arecanuts) shared a laugh with customers at the steep cost, but his laughter hid a bitter truth.
“Everything in Goa has become expensive,” a shopper from Mumbai remarked, noting that Goan living costs now rival those of her home city.
The price shock was not limited to decorative items. At another stall, ladyfingers were priced at an eye-watering Rs100 for just seven pieces, while three to four cucumbers were sold at the same amount.
For traders, the annual Ganesh-related price hike is an expected reality, but this year’s increase is notably sharper. “With the rains and transport costs, it pinches more,” a vendor lamented, highlighting the compounded financial pressures facing both sellers and buyers.
Despite the budgetary strain, the festive atmosphere is palpable. Amidst the bargaining and economic worry, families continued to search for the perfect yellow marigolds, tender coconut leaves, and tiny wild fruits that complete the traditional matoli.
Villagers recount a time when they would gather these items from the forests themselves, a tradition that now relies on traders bringing produce in from the hinterlands.
For many, the tradition is non-negotiable.
A housewife from Taleigao, laden with her purchases, explained that sacrifices will be made elsewhere. “We may cut down on other things, but not on matoli. It is part of our Ganesh,” she said.