BENGALURU: Karnataka has made significant contributions to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, and is now extending its support for the Dhwaja Arohan, the hoisting of a 22-foot religious flag marking the completion of temple construction.
For the ceremony scheduled on 25 November, large quantities of flowers have been dispatched from Bengaluru and surrounding districts over the past few days.
A wide range of flowers, particularly several varieties of chrysanthemum grown in Anekal, Hosur, Chikkaballapur, and Doddaballapur, is being sent to Ayodhya.
“While jasmine is being sent from Madurai and Coimbatore, chrysanthemum is going from Chikkaballapur, Doddaballapur and nearby villages. Farmers have directly partnered with traders and buyers for the supply. A large volume of flowers was also sent from here during the inauguration of the Ram Mandir,” said G. M. Diwakar, President of the KR Market Flower Merchants’ Association.
Vendors and traders at the Chikkaballapur and Anekal flower markets said the total quantity dispatched has yet to be compiled. Each farmer and vendor is occupied with daily supplies and special orders; a consolidated figure will be calculated once deliveries are completed.
According to traders, farmers in Chikkaballapur alone sent more than 10 tonnes of flowers to Ayodhya last year for various religious festivities. They added that this year’s tally will take longer as supplies are combined with those from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
M. Vishwanath from the International Flower Auction Bengaluru said they send 1.5 lakh rose stems of various varieties to Delhi every day, from where they are transported onwards to Ayodhya. No special direct consignment has been made from Bengaluru; however, farmers are dispatching flowers directly based on orders received from buyers, he added.
Diwakar noted that demand for flowers from the outskirts of Bengaluru is rising. Farmers are increasingly adopting polyhouse farming and expanding production. Export orders to Dubai, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Thailand are increasing, especially for chrysanthemum. Large consignments were also sent to Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh for the birth centenary celebrations of Sathya Sai Baba, he said.
Traders explained that, since the pandemic, the flower market has decentralised from Bengaluru. Farmers are realising the advantages of selling directly from their districts instead of bringing produce to Bengaluru’s KR Market, where even slight delays can affect quality.
“Alongside growing fruit and vegetables, farmers are now using the same area for polyhouse floral cultivation. This is because they earn higher daily profits from flowers compared with fruit and vegetable sales. Chrysanthemum cultivation is particularly prevalent,” said a HOPCOMS official who did not wish to be named.
Earlier, chrysanthemum required six months to bloom, but hybrid varieties now flower within three months. Bright lighting is being used to accelerate blooming. Demand for various colours, including orange, yellow, white, pink, purple and chocolate brown, is growing steadily in the regions surrounding Bengaluru, Diwakar added.