Bhubaneswar/Berhampur: As thousands of devotees across Odisha make a beeline to temples on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri, the demand for Ketaki, or screw pine flower, has soared.
As of Wednesday, the thorny flower was selling between Rs 600 and Rs 1,000 near Shri Loknath Temple in Puri and for Rs 600 to Rs 800 near Shree Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar.
The demand for Ketaki stems from the fact that it is offered to Mahadev only on Maha Shivratri.
Ketaki is a variety of the ‘Kewra’ and its botanical name is Pandanus fascicularis. The flower blooms only during this period.
While ‘Kewra’ is abundantly grown in six coastal blocks of Ganjam district, Ketaki is rarely found in the area, said Sushant Kumar Nayak of Golanthara in Ganjam district.
“High demand and rare availability are the main reasons behind the steep price of the flower,” said Ketaki seller B Simadri of Tulu. “Last year, I collected around 25 pieces, but this year, I could gather only a dozen,” he added.
Farmers in Ganjam district export this rare flower to several towns across the state, including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Sambalpur, and Koraput, said Bhagaban Behera, a flower seller.
“Many flower sellers from these towns placed their orders well ahead of Shivratri,” he added.
Devotees believe that offering Ketaki to Lord Shiva on Maha Shivratri fulfill their wishes.
According to mythology, Ketaki was once cursed by Lord Shiva and prohibited from being used in rituals.
However, the deity later allowed its offering on just one day—Maha Shivratri, explained Ashok Kumar Padhy, a priest.
Bala Krushna Pradhan, a resident of Shakti Nagar in Berhampur, said he has been offering Ketaki to the Lord Shiva for several years.
“I bought the flower for Rs 400 this year, whereas last year, I got it for Rs 300,” he added.
PTI