Women flower vendors do brisk business during the Onam season as the returns they get sustain them for at least three months.
Published Sep 15, 2024 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 10, 2024 | 9:24 PM
Much like Manipur's Ima Market or Madurai's famous flower market, this street is uniquely dominated by women vendors.
The bustling Paramara Street near the Ernakulam Town Railway Station bursts with myriad colours as the grand Athachamayam parade winds its way through the roads of Tripunithura, some 12 km away.
Both denote the beginning of Onam festivities, Kerala’s much-awaited harvest festival. Vendors, mostly women like in Manipur’s Ima Market or Madurai’s flower market, flank the street leading to the railway station. They cater to Kochi’s floral demands, which peak during the Onam season.
Flowers and Onam are intertwined. The flowers are needed for the floral carpet spread out to welcome the benevolent asura King, Mahabali, who according to belief, visits his subjects in Kerala once a year. The demand has gone up in recent years as offices, shops and establishments, too, spread the carpet, capturing the vibrance of the harvest festival.
The seasonal flower market at Paramara symbolises resilience and festivity, where women lead the way in keeping the traditions alive and blooming.
Poonkodi and her mother-in-law engage in a spirited competition each year, racing to string marigolds into garlands with remarkable speed. This tradition, deeply rooted in their lives, is a vivid testament to their cultural heritage.
Poonkodi and her mother-in-law making marigold garlands.
Poonkodi reminisced about her childhood at Achipatti in Coimbatore, where making flower garlands was an integral part of daily life.
“In our village, stringing flowers together was more than a tradition; it was a way of life,” she told South First. Each Onam, she brings her skill to Kochi, as no Onam celebration is complete without the vibrant, fragrant flowers.
The Onam season demands a relentless schedule. Poonkodi often sacrifices sleep, napping only two hours a night, to keep up with the floral demand. Lorries bring flowers around 4 am. She meticulously sorts and arranges the flowers into different baskets upon arriving at her designated space, preparing for a bustling day.
Her efforts are well-rewarded. During the Onam festivities, Poonkodi earns more than ₹5,000 a day. Even after the main celebrations, Kochi continues to embrace the festive spirit. Many residents, having returned to their homes, celebrate Onam in their flats, extending the festivities.
Subsequently, Poonkodi and her fellow flower vendors remain in Kochi for several additional weeks, ensuring that the city’s floral needs are met beyond the Onam period.
Amidst the late-night chaos as people busy select flowers for creating ‘pookkalams‘ (floral carpets), Chintamani is caught in a domestic tiff.
Chintamani.
It was 11.30 pm, and her teenage son insisted on her taking a dinner break. Chintamani, however, remained absorbed in her work. “I can’t skip serving my customers. There’s fierce competition among sellers,” she said as customers haggled over the price.
Chintamani shared insights into Kochi’s demand for flowers. Red flowers, particularly tuberoses, are in high demand. Jasmine also has its share of popularity, but yellow and orange marigolds are the top sellers. Maintaining the freshness of white flowers is challenging, so she purchases only a small quantity from wholesalers.
However, the demand for Nerium oleander (arali in Malayalam) has declined this season compared to previous years. On enquiry, wholesalers attributed the dip in demand to the death of a 24-year-old nurse from Pallippad in Alappuzha.
Surya Surendran, on her way to the UK, had accidentally chewed the flower near her home on 28 April. Later that day, she collapsed at the Cochin International Airport and died after a few days while undergoing treatment. A cow and its calf, too, were reported dead after consuming oleander leaves.
Following Surendran’s death, the Travancore and Malabar devaswom boards banned oleander offerings in temples under their jurisdiction. This tragic incident led to a decline in demand for oleander.
