Varanasi Sweet Shops Raise Prices as Sugar, Ghee and Cashew Costs Climb

VARANASI: Festival shoppers are beginning to see higher rates at several Varanasi sweet counters, with local traders reporting increases of roughly 10 to 15 per cent as sugar, ghee and cashew costs move up. The figures come from a market survey and individual shops, not from an official citywide price index, so rates may vary by locality and product quality.

Shopkeepers in the survey said sugar had reached as much as ₹70 a kilogram in recent transactions. A 15-kilogram tin of ghee was quoted as moving from about ₹9,200 to ₹10,200, while 10 kilograms of cashew rose from roughly ₹7,100 to ₹7,700. Labour, packaging and cooling costs add further pressure during humid weather.

At one counter, mixed sweets that had sold for around ₹500 a kilogram were quoted near ₹580. A mix without ghee-rich items was offered around ₹540. Product examples in the survey included kesar pak moving from ₹560 to ₹640, chamcham from ₹400 to ₹540 and kaju katli from ₹1,000 to ₹1,200 per kilogram.

Ghevar was quoted at up to ₹800 against an earlier ₹600, though size, ghee content and decoration make direct comparisons difficult. Chocolate and gift hampers ranged from ₹250 to ₹2,000, reflecting a parallel market for packaged presentation rather than only the weight of sweets inside.

Shubham Yadav of Basant Bahar and Pappu Kumar of Om Misthan Bhandar were among the traders cited in the source survey. Sellers said customers continue to prefer traditional chhena-based sweets, while demand for some khoya-heavy products has not fully returned to its pre-pandemic pattern.

Consumers should read the price rise carefully. A shop may adjust rates before its old stock is exhausted because it expects replacement ingredients to cost more; another may hold rates and reduce variety. Claims of an input increase do not necessarily mean a shortage, and same-day market conditions can differ between wholesale suppliers.

Quality and food safety matter more than a headline discount. Buyers should choose clean, established counters, ask when perishable sweets were prepared and refrigerate milk-based items promptly. Colour, silver leaf and premium boxes can lift the bill without changing the underlying quantity, so comparing the per-kilogram rate remains useful.

The festive market will show whether the increases hold. If sugar and dry-fruit prices ease, competition may limit further rises; if input costs remain elevated, smaller shops will have little room to absorb them. For now, Varanasi households planning large orders may want to fix the product, weight and delivery date in writing before paying an advance.