AGARTALA, Oct 8 (TIWN): A day dedicated for ‘food’ and ‘family get together’ is known as Vijaya Dasami, the last day of 5 days long Durga puja. Like every year, this year also crowd witnesses in markets since morning specially in meat and fish markets, whereas demands for Hilsa fish had gone high at Rs. 1200 to Rs. 1600 in the Battala market. Demands for chickens, mutton are high at the same time as the food culture contributes in the Bengali dishes on Vijaya Dasami includes various fish items, chicken, mutton, dahi, sweet, chatni etc. On the day of Dashami, when the Bengali families celebrate the day with rich food and sweets which includes fish, meat and many other items, the skyrocketing price of commodities hits the pocket of the middle class families and poor. More or less most of the families try to enjoy the day as it comes once in a year. However, the cost of mutton also touched the sky with Rs. 1000 per Kilogram. Over the past few months, retail prices of onion have shot up almost from Rs. 40 per kg to 80-85 per kg in the State, which is a part of nationwide onion price hikes. Besides, the wholesale prices of onions have also risen over the same period across the state.

However, the skyrocketing price of the commodities left the poor and middle class families in miserable condition on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami. This year various protests of poor men were witnessed during Durga puja days demanding pending wages displaying the economic distress throughout the state and thus, for the poor and lower middle-class families this year budget is very tight but it could not much effect the Agartala markets so far, though the whole day report yet to come.

Durga puja started this year on September 4 with Shasthi and to be ended today with Visarjan, that is the immersion of Goddess Durga’s idols by puja organizers.

Few common items in Tripura's Bengali families are : 1) Muri Ganta, 2) Pathar mansho (mutton), 3) Chicken, 4) Fish fry, 5) Hilsa fish curry, 6) chatni, 7) Misto Doi, 8) Rosogolla.