Aurangabad, Oct 17:
The Navratri Festival begins from Saturday. However, the coconut sellers are disheartened as the temples are closed due to the Corona crisis. Every year, there is a massive demand for coconuts at the Karnapura fair during the festival. However, the temples are closed, and the police restricted the devotees at the Panchwati Chowk. Hence, the coconut sellers waiting the devotees were disheartened as their coconuts were not sold till late evening.
There are around 450 coconut sellers in the district who sells coconut at various temples premises. Every year, the traders at Mondha are always busy and do not have the relax time during the festival. Mondha, today borne a deserted look.
Coconuts are brought in the city from Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The retailers purchased around 5 lakh coconuts in the district for Navratri festival every year, but this year only 1.5 lakh coconuts were purchased, the traders said. Last year, the coconut transaction was around Rs 1 crores but it reduced to Rs 30 lakh this year, the sources mentioned.