India: Blooms reflect changing Onam festival trends

When you stand in the same place doing the same things over a long period of time, you get a clear sense of how the world has changed around you. Aji has been selling flowers at the Murugan flower mart, situated at the mouth of a narrow alley in Chala market, for the past three decades.

In his earlier days here, the crowd consisted of mostly families with the young and old from households coming together to buy flowers for ‘Athhappookkalam’ (floral patterns).

But over the past decade or so, the number of families has dwindled.

Instead, the business has been sustained by bulk orders from government offices, educational institutions, residential associations and clubs.

Intense contests
“In the past two days, only a few families have approached us. The numbers are far less even compared to last year. Thankfully, the number of athhappookkalam competitions has been increasing with every passing year. So, the flower trade won’t be affected,” says Aji.

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