Shopping for matoli in the pandemic

With Ganesh Chathurti a day away, there is an excitement in the air. The various items of the matoli are now available in the market. Goa Times visited the busy Panaji, Banastarim and Mapusa markets to witness the business activity there. The coronavirus pandemic has depressed the economy, yet the spirit of Chaturthi seems to brighten up people’s moods through these troubled times.We talk to a few vendors at the markets to gauge the mood of the masses this year, how this has affected their business, and what shoppers can expect this season.
This year Rajendra Arlekar, a vendor from Taleigao, witnessed a decline in the availability of items. “Unlike other years, this year we haven’t received a lot of produce from villages, mainly because people are not venturing out in fear of contracting the virus.”
Amar Satkar, who sells matoli products with his mother at Banastarim, says, “Due to the heavy rains, many of the items which we would procure from the hilly areas have not grown this year. Also due to the lockdown, items like bananas and betel nuts are in short supply.”
As locals thronged to the stalls, social distancing was not followed. However a handful of stalls did provide sanitisers to their customers.
Vinayak Gaude who was selling local produce, said, “I have not increased the rates of most matoli items as a lot of us have lost our jobs and this festival means a huge expenditure for families.”