Kolkata, Dec 15 (PTI) At the crack of dawn, Krishna Srimani walks briskly towards Mullick Ghat flower market beside the towering Howrah bridge with his merchandise of flowers cut freshly from his farmland for prospective buyers.

Srimani (63), a second-generation flower grower, brings jasmines, mogras, roses and lotuses to sell at Asia's oldest wholesale flower market .

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The vibrant and bustling market at Mullick Ghat, a photographer's delight, on the banks of the Hooghly, attracts over 2,000 flower sellers daily.

"My father used to sell flowers in this market which is 130 years old. I inherited the business from him and for the last 50 years I am running it," Srimani said.

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The sale proceeds are enough to lead a decent life with his wife and two children, he added.

'Karigars' at the stalls string the cut flowers for making garlands. They also make decorative panels, and bouquets and women sort leaves which the clientele buy for offerings. Red hibiscus, marigolds in yellow, orange or red varieties, and jasmine required for pujas and wedding decor are in great demand at the market.

The rush and buzz in the wholesale flower market are even more during festivals and the wedding season. Wedding dates mean more customers and increased sales.

"Unlike other days, the wedding dates are very special. On a normal day, if the turnover of the market is around Rs 1 crore, then on the wedding days it can easily go up to almost Rs 2 crore," revealed 47-year-old Bhakti Maiti, who supplies decoration items for weddings.

Vendors are seen busy making flower arrangements, floral tiaras, and bouquets that are in great demand during festivals and weddings. The market also offers flowers used for other purposes -- birthdays, housewarming parties, and funerals.

The business here comprises not only countless farmers and middlemen who sell their products, but also shopkeepers who offer decoration services and more. Many vendors even stay in makeshift shelters in the area. Livelihood of people like porters who carry the bulk purchase up to the vehicles, tea vendors, fruit sellers, shop owners selling snacks also centre around this flower market.

The market starts around 4 am with flower sellers from adjacent areas of Kolkata gathering with their merchandise.

Vendors bring their flowers from Khirai and Kolaghat in Purba Medinipur district, Bagnan in Howrah district and areas in Nadia, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts to this market.

The flower sellers say around 50 varieties of marigold are sold at the market. Mexican tuberose (Rajanigandha) is also a big hit.

Swapan Burman, a member of Mulick Ghat Phool Bazaar Parichalan Samiti, a nominated body of the Department of Food Processing, Industries and Horticulture, Government of West Bengal, said the turnover, including wholesale, retail and exports, of the flower market is in crores.

Flowers are sent to Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and some places in Rajasthan, he said.

Lack of direct flights to places like the Netherlands has affected the export potential of the famed market, he claimed.

"Earlier there was water shortage in the market, now at least three-four tube wells that we installed are functional," Burman said.

Plans are afoot to recycle flowers to make incense sticks, introduce cold storage facilities, and revamp the market and make it "more organised", he said.

Congress councillor of ward 45 Santosh Pathak rues lack of basic amenities like drinking water, availability of toilets in the flower market.

"I can't spend any funds on the development of the market without permission because the area belongs to Port Trust," he said.

Ajit Ghorai, a shop owner since 1982, said, "I have been a part of this market and associated with the business of flower decoration for the last 40 years. When I started here, my profit margin used to be double the expenses incurred. But now, as a result of competition, our days of happiness are gone, and we are compelled to make do with negligible profits."

The words of this market veteran were echoed by Madan Saha, another flower seller which does not have a grand structure to announce its presence.

"Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, sales are not encouraging at all, and we are just able to make both ends meet. My association with the market is for over 30 years now, and each year the competition is increasing manifold," Saha said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)