Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
As families across the city welcomed Mahalaxmi on Sunday, markets saw brisk sales of the special 16-vegetable mix that forms part of the goddess’s naivedya. Each kg of the assorted mix was priced at Rs 100, and traders estimate nearly 70 tonnes were sold in a single day.
Unlike regular days when households buy only a few vegetables, the Mahalaxmi tradition compels families to purchase all 16 varieties, symbolising nature’s bounty and the goddess Annapurna’s blessings. Vendors said the demand pushed up the sales of even lesser-known varieties such as chakri bhaji and valachi sheng. The vegetables include cluster beans, chawli, ridge gourd, ivy gourd, pumpkin, bottle gourd, cucumber, carrot, bitter gourd, okra, and broad beans each known for distinct health benefits. Prices ranged between Rs 30 and Rs 150 per kg depending on the variety. Mahalaxmi, regarded as a daughter visiting her maternal home, is worshipped with rituals and aarti on Monday. Puja can be performed between 7 am and 12.33 pm in the morning, and from 3.12 pm to 6.50 pm in the evening.