Ketaki flowers in huge demand for Mahashivratri

Berhampur: Ahead of Mahashivratri, ketaki or screwpine flowers have flooded in the city, as the flower is offered to Lord Shiva only on this day. Price of one flower varies from Rs 400 to Rs 600 in Berhampur depending upon quality and size, as the demand is very high now.
Ketaki is a variety of kewra that flowers during this time of the yea. Though kewra is abundantly grown in six coastal blocks of Ganjam district, ketaki is sighted very rarely, said Sushant Kumar Nayak of Golanthara, near here. B Simadri of Tulu, a flower-seller, could collect only 12 flowers this year compared to 25 last year.
Also, ketaki flower is sent out from Berhampur to Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Sambalpur and Koraput. "Flower sellers of these towns have placed their order much before Shivaratri," said Bhgaban Behera, a flower seller. The devotees believe their wishes would be fulfilled by offering ketaki to Lord Shiva on Mahashivratri.
Bala Krushna Pradhan, a resident of Shakti Nagar, said he has been offered ketaki to Lord Shiva since last some years. He has bought a flower at Rs 400 this year, which he had bought at Rs 300 last year.