A traditional Onam Sadya is a largely vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf, with 20-30 dishes
A Sadya at some popular eateries costs between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000, while prices at star hotels have crossed Rs 4,000. More affordable options start at Rs 600 for dine-in. Takeaways cost at least Rs 100 more, with multiple containers needed for the spread. A traditional Onam Sadya is a largely vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf, with 20-30 dishes ranging from parippu, sambar, avial, thoran, olan, kalan and pachadi to inji curry, pickle and pappadom. “Onam Sadya in Bengaluru is casually touching Rs 2,000-plus at several places this year. Rejikumar, general secretary of Kerala Samajam, Bengaluru, said a price of up to Rs 500 at an ordinary hotel was reasonable. “The production cost could be around Rs 350-400, and bulk preparation can bring it down further. Peter Mangalya of Mangalya Caterers, who has been catering Sadyas for nine years, said the price had gone up by Rs 50 this year. “Our Sadya costs Rs 600 and includes 22 items and two payasams. Yumm Keralam, one of the city’s popular Kerala restaurants, is offering its Sadya at Rs 499 plus taxes, with owner Karun Chandy attributing the pricing to demand and supply. “Vegetable prices shoot up during the festival, and a Sadya has 20-30 items compared to six or seven in a regular meal. We have also hired around 150 experienced service staff, as serving a Sadya is an art in itself,” he said.
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“The joke in our circle is that it is cheaper to take a train to Palakkad and have a Sadya there than spend Rs 4,000 on lunch for a family of four,” said Prakash, a CV Raman Nagar resident. We welcome everyone, though ours will not be held on Onam day,” he said. Hotels are a different ball game altogether,” he said. We want it to be a place where people can come together and celebrate the festival,” he said. Chandy said the cost and effort involved in preparing a Sadya were significantly higher than a regular Kerala meal.
Bengaluru: Onam is incomplete without a sumptuous Sadya. But this year, Bengaluru’s Malayali community is feeling the pinch, with the price of the traditional feast soaring at several popular restaurants across the city. Ordering through Swiggy or Zomato pushes the price up further. The meal is typically rounded off with two or more varieties of payasam. Many restaurants have begun taking pre-bookings through apps and online platforms, even as social media is abuzz over the steep prices for what is essentially a vegetarian meal. I suppose Instagram popularity comes with an Instagram premium,” Nandita Iyer posted on X. including vegetables, have risen and a nominal hike is justified, ordinary hotels cannot charge exorbitantly While costs. Five-star hotels are different, given the additional costs involved. This is also why Kerala Samajam organises Sadya. Unlike a non-vegetarian meal, Sadya is labour-intensive, with many dishes requiring coconut preparation. Labour, gas and vegetable costs all add to the expense. “We wanted to keep it affordable. With higher footfall, we can work on volumes and don’t look at it purely from a business perspective. We bring in chefs from Kerala and need all hands on deck. Download the TOI App.
Most seem to have nearly doubled their prices since last year.