Kolkata queues up for mutton on Dol as demand pushes price to Rs 1,000 a kilo
Telegraph | 3 March 2026
The rewaj of savouring rewaji mutton or kochi patha on Dol was a non-negotiable deal for many Kolkatans this year, with high demand leading to queues outside meat shops and pushing the price to Rs 1,000 per kg in most parts of the city.
From Behala to Baguiati, buyers lined up at mutton shops on Dol Purnima eve on Monday to shop for the annual ritual of mangsho-bhaat on Holi.
The scenes at Kolkata markets were no different on Tuesday morning.
The average price of mutton rose from around Rs 880 per kg to Rs 1,000 in both north and south Kolkata, buyers and meat shop owners told My Kolkata.
“This will be the price this week as the demand is high,” said a shopkeeper at Haji Meat Shop in Behala’s Raidighi.
For many customers, the hike felt quite steep. “A hike of more than Rs 100 is unbelievable,” said a customer waiting in a queue at the same newly opened meat shop.
Every year, demand for mutton spikes during Holi. However, loyalists say the usual hike ranges between Rs 20 and Rs 50.
Subhojit Sen, who runs a cloud kitchen in the city, said he had anticipated the rise. “I had asked my meat supplier a month back before fixing prices for my takeout menu. He had said that they would sell for Rs 1,000 a kg.”
He is a regular at Zam Zam Meat Shop in Patuli. But there was no discount for patrons this Holi.
Not everyone was prepared for the price hike.
“I got mutton for Rs 1,000 a kilo. I had priced my platters for order already without expecting this surge. The profit margin has reduced,” homechef Sayani Sengupta said.
Many mutton lovers also had expected the demand and bought early to avoid the spike. “I got the mutton yesterday (Monday morning) for Rs 800 knowing there will be an unusual hike,” said Soma Roy of Manicktala.
At Hazra’s Barkat Meat Shop, queues reportedly stretched till midnight of March 3. Others chose alternatives. “I have settled for duck. I saw the queue in my neighbourhood meat shop was about half-a-kilometre long. I came back home and took out the frozen duck,” said a resident of Mall Road in Belgachia.
Several buyers also opted for desi (country) chicken or ordered the meat online from brands such as Licious.