Diwali festival boosts demand for banana plants and bamboo in Assam
Traders in Guwahati report increased sales of ritual items as residents prepare for traditional festivities.
Banana farmers and bamboo traders in Assam are seeing a rise in business during the Diwali festival, according to reports by ANI and The News Mill. Customers are purchasing items such as bamboo sticks and banana plants to perform traditional rituals.
In Assam, it is a long-standing custom to place earthen lamps, known as diyas, on banana plants and to set bamboo sticks at house entrances. Markets in Guwahati have seen a rush of people buying these items along with firecrackers and diyas.
The banana plants and bamboo are being supplied to city markets from districts including Kamrup, Nalbari and Morigaon. Trader Chanakya Deka, who brought plants from Kamrup, said he had already made sales between Rs 5,000 and Rs 6,000.
Hemen Baruah, a resident of Guwahati’s Ganeshguri area, noted that he bought a pair of banana plants for Rs 300. He said that while plants were previously collected from nearby hills, traders now source them from areas like Nalbari, Barpeta and Pathsala.
While some residents like Adrita have already purchased rangoli colours and diyas, others have noted price changes. A local resident named Suraj said he intended to buy a banana plant but remarked that the rates are quite high during the festive season.