Patna, March 6: Pricey chicken and mutton failed to cut the enthusiasm of Holi revellers to go non-vegetarian on Friday.
Tradition stood taller than price. Spiral queues at chicken and mutton shops in different pockets of the city remained the feature of the Holi day.
Chicken and mutton stalls at Raja Bazaar, Patel Nagar, Rajapur bridge and the Boring Road area witnessed long queues of people. As there was high demand, shopkeepers jacked up the prices of mutton and chicken.
Chicken was sold at Rs 120-140 per kg on Friday against Rs 100-110 per kg a few days back. Mutton was far dearer. It was sold at Rs 600-650 per kg on Friday. A day before, its cost was Rs 350-400 per kg.
Pappu Ansari, a mutton seller at Patel Nagar, said: "On normal days, the price of mutton varies between Rs 350 and Rs 400 per kg. But today being Holi, there is a huge rush of customers and I am selling mutton at Rs 600 per kg."
Justifying the increase in the price, Ansari said: "As I purchased goats at higher price, we jacked up the cost of mutton. At Bakri Bazaar, the biggest goat market of Patna, goat was sold at Rs 350 to 400 per kg two days before Holi - an increase of Rs 100 to 150 per kg."
Despite the high price, the sale of mutton was much higher on Friday than other days. Sajid Ali, another mutton seller at the Boring Canal Road area, sold more than 25 goats on Friday - almost double than other days. Usually, he sells around eight to 10 goats a day.
Ali said: "I opened my shop around 5am and by 12.30pm, around 25 goats were sold. The sale of mutton is higher this year because the festival of colours has not fallen either on Tuesday or Thursday."
Echoing the views of Ali, irrigation department's executive engineer Vishnu Deo Prasad said: "We don't have non-vegetarian dishes on Tuesday and Thursday. This year, Holi is on Friday. So, I have purchased 3kg of mutton. I have invited my daughter and son-in-law to my house for dinner."
Maximum goats come to Patna from Purnea, Champaran and Ara. The city is mainly dependent on Andhra Pradesh for chicken.
Unlike mutton and chicken, fish was not in high demand. Its price did not soar either.
"Fish is not as popular as chicken and mutton. So, its price is normal even on the Holi day," said a fish vendor near Rajapur bridge.
