City gears up for grand Pran Pratistha with soaring demand for Shri Ram flags

Over 8 lakh Shri Ram flags brought in from Surat

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: As the Pran Pratistha festival in Ayodhya approaches on January 22, the city is awash in saffron hues with a surge in demand for Shri Ram flags. With every house wanting to participate in this historic occasion, vendors have brought in over 8 lakh flags from Surat, leading to price hikes due to limited supply.

The flags, printed with images of Lord Ram and the Ayodhya temple, come in four sizes: 20x30 inches, 30x45 inches, 40x60 inches, and 60x90 inches. Wholesalers and hundreds of vendors across the city are experiencing brisk sales, with flags already reaching even remote corners of the district.

However, as the festival draws closer, prices have skyrocketed in just three days. A 20x30 inch flag that cost Rs 20 on Tuesday is now selling for Rs 60, while a 30x45 inch flag has seen a jump from Rs 35 to Rs 90. Similar trends are observed across all sizes, reflecting the immense demand and limited supply.

Less supply from Surat

Wholesale traders attribute the shortage to high national demand and lower production in Surat. This imbalance is causing prices to climb rapidly, but the enthusiasm among city residents remains undeterred.

Never seen such demand

Vikrant Akolkar, a local businessman, shared his experience, "I've never seen such demand for any flag before. People are so excited about the Pran Pratistha and flags are selling out the moment they arrive. Even flagpoles are in high demand. I've sold 500 flags in just three days and I'm expecting another 500, but got only 200 from the wholesaler today."