Navratri 2023: How price rise is affecting festive celebrations in Mumbai

Mumbaikars are ready to celebrate the vibrant festival of Navratri with full gusto and shopping of course is on the agenda But playing party pooper is lsquoprice risersquoPrice rise is playing a crucial role in the budgets that are being made for the upcoming festival and is stopping several Mumbaikars from indulging in a shopping spree Not just Navratri therersquos also Durga Puja followed by Diwali And shopping for clothes jewellery gadgets appliances etc is an integral part of family celebrations for any festival or occasionExpressing his sentiments on the impact of the price rise is Milind Vanarse a Kumbharwada resident ldquoPrice rise is affecting our pockets During festivals we have to think twice before spending money Itrsquos important to keep a tab on your finances and not get carried away while spending so that you donrsquot mess up your financial planningrdquoThe Vanarse family has been celebrating Navratri at their home for the last 40 years The family has seen many changes over the years when it comes to Navratri celebrations Of course price rise has been the biggest culprit when it comes to shopping for Navratri Not just shopping for clothes but even prices of fruits flowers grocery and vegetables have reached new highs he addedSpeaking about how the Vanarse family is dealing with price rise Milind said Now we are getting used to price rise no matter who runs the government we have understood that inflation wont go anywhere Rather than whining about it we need to work around it And thatrsquos what we have been doing Saving more money apart from your monthly expenses is the norm Then therersquos online shopping where we get heavy discounts on many products ecommerce is a blissThe soaring prices of essential commodities have left family budgets in tatters turning life into a living hell is what an array of homemakers and working women lamented in unisonDarpana a Girgaon resident said We have to think twice before spending money and plan our monthly expenses in accordance with the festive seasonsHer family has been celebrating Navratri at home since the 1960s Speaking about changes which she has seen over the years in Navratri celebrations the 47yearold said The biggest change we have seen over the year is a lesser number of people visiting each otherrsquos homes for such celebrations Earlier many people used to come for arti and havan but today the number has dwindled This is also because people are more occupied with their own stuff and things they need to take care ofAlso Read Durga Puja 2023 How to wear a saree Here are easy tips and tricks for saree drapingShedding light on how the price rise is affecting Navratri celebrations she said My fatherinlaw started these Navratri celebrations at home We have been celebrating it in the same manner The same amount of fruits flowers and prasad is offered to the Goddess The only difference is the budgeting which changes as inflation rises There was a time when no thought was given to monthly finances But now we keep money especially for festivalsrdquoAt the receiving end of the price rise are owners of small businesses and street vendors ldquoBusiness is not as it used to be People are thinking twice before buying anything Price rise is not just affecting people but us as wellrdquo rues a street vendor Mannu who sells fruitsThe jumping prices of essential items such as pulses edible oil food grains etc and the reduced purchasing power due to the pandemic have impacted both consumers and shopkeepersAnuj Pandit a Matungabased retailer said The prices of spices and pulses went up during the lockdown and the same can be seen in rates of oil The oil which earlier cost Rs 100 per litre is now selling for almost Rs 170 And the problem is customers question us over the sudden rise when we have no control over it We have also noticed that the purchasing capacity of a customer has reduced by almost 50 per centrdquoWhile the impact of the surge in inflation is no doubt leaving a dent in Mumbaikarsrsquo pockets theres also hope that someday the situation will improve Hearts and doors are open to welcome the Goddess as they were for Ganpat Bappa And soon the echoes of firecrackers will reverberate across the city