The day started well with a sight like this:
I am in Kolkata gaping at the iconic Howrah Bridge. The gleaming bridge stretches across the Hooghly river connecting the twin cities Howrah and Kolkata. It looks like a giant mythical creature with tiny humans and vehicles in its belly.
Two days is ridiculously inadequate to see the old capital of India but I am very excited. My host, a dear friend who is a long-term resident of Kolkata, suggested a heritage walk and here we are at the Jagannath ghat waiting for the guide. Expecting a large group of tourists I was pleasantly surprised to find just the two of us with Navpreet, the vivacious host of FunOnStreets. After the brief introduction, she led us down the ghat which was already a hub of activities at 7 a.m: morning ablutions, prayers, wrestling practice, and photo shoots.
From the ghat we walked to the Flower Market, supposed to be the largest wholesale market of its kind in India.
The first sight of the narrow lanes filled with flowers and people is overwhelming. The bustling market has been operating for the last 125 years. Truckloads of flowers start coming as early as 4 a.m from all over West Bengal and the frenetic activities go on till late. The whole atmosphere is colorful and chaotic. We picked our way through the petal strewn path, careful not to collide with the milling crowd.
Flowers have always been an integral part of Indian festivals, weddings, and temple rituals. Here you can see a staggering variety of flowers and leaves of different colors, textures, and designs. Some are exclusively reserved for the temples; I didn’t know that Gods also have their favourite flowers!
Over 250 stalls line the alleyway. Despite the shabby exterior, they make a decent income which goes up considerably during festival and wedding seasons. Navpreet kept us engaged with interesting trivia.
There are people everywhere: vendors, buyers, porters, and tourists. You just got to go with the flow and take in as much as you can.
Men outnumber women; they lug their colorful, fragrant merchandise with ease and grace.
Wonder why none of the ladies have worn flowers in their hair.
Marigold flowers are the most in demand. The bright yellow and orange blooms are visible all over the place:
I see a giant floral dump; some flowers look too fresh to be discarded.
Temples and religious rituals require a fresh batch of flowers every day so all the unsold wares end up in the dump. I wish the authorities do something about it. There is a Kanpur based startup ‘HelpUsGreen’ which recycle floral waste into incense sticks and vermicompost. Anybody listening?
It will be exciting to spend an entire day in this market but we have to catch a ferry, so let me stop and smell the roses/ marigolds.
Reference:
Absolutely stunning!
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Local markets are fascinating. I am glad you enjoyed this walk. Thanks.
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Looks like this heritage walk introduced you to a new world.
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And opened my eyes to the gross neglect of these historic ghats and markets. Fire accidents are very common here.
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Yes, I know people who have suffered a huge loss because of these fires during the last three years.
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A pictorial delight of the ancient capital of India! A real explosion of colour and light, Sidran!
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It was definitely a treat for the senses. Thank you.
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Excellent post. Sidran I loved reading it. I hate waste food; anything really. So sad to hear all the flowers are taken to the dump.
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I am glad you share my views. Thanks, Sue.
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Lord Shiva has good taste in flowers!
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He is supposed to have very strong likes and dislikes. Their so-called failings make me feel close to them.
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How colourful and beautiful dear Sidran, I love flowers. Fascinated me too. Thank you, Love, nia
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I remember you are also fond of local markets. Thank you, Nia.
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Wonderful photos! They really give a good sense of how large and lovely the market is.
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Thank you very much. I am glad you enjoyed this side of the city. Have you been to Kolkata?
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I’ve been a couple of times, but never went to the flower market.
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Wow – fabulous bridge and those flowers really are gorgeous!
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Beautiful 🙂
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What a nice introduction to the markets in India and I never saw so much different colored flowers.
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Kolkata is such a giant tangle of people and color isn’t it? As you said, “You just got to go with the flow and take in as much as you can.” It’s something I found very difficult to do when I was exploring the city, but I’m glad you managed to not only go with the flow, but also smell the marigolds on the way!
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I am still trying to process the incredible sights in this city. Thanks for your insightful comment.
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There are more flowers in that dump, than I have seen all year!
How exquisite to visit a place all about flowers. This is a very special post. I had no idea such a place existed, and all because of a need for flowers.
There are possibly more flowers in this post, than I have seen in my life! ❦❦❦
OH! Did you find out why the woman do not have flowers in their hair?
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How nice to hear your views, Resa! I like visiting the local markets but an exclusive flower market was a unique experience.
I was told that wearing flowers in the hair is mostly seen in Southern parts of India; in the cities one can hardly see women with flower adornments.
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Interesting about the flowers in women’s hair! Again, thank you for this amazing post!
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Wonderful and colorsful post with a treasure of flowers.Thanks forsharing
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Excellent series.
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Thank you.
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What an amazing place, full of colours and life. And you captured it all so beautifully.
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Thank you. It was an overwhelming experience.
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Thanks for sharing your tour experience of India.
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The colorful and floral India! I can understand that this is a source of income for these people, but such a shame for the wasted flowers! So, I agree with your point about it.
Best regards, Heidi
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I hope they can do something about it. Thank you, Heidi.
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Excellent post and wonderful photos. I loved especially flower photos. Thank You.
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It was unforgettable. Thank you.
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This reminds me a dewala (kowil ) southern part of sri lanka. kataragama. I think that is also related to india.
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I must look it up. Thank you, Harshani.
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Sidran, i always enjoy reading your reports and with pleasure. For me it is a strange, amazing world that you show here in your posts. This is a very special post again. This colorful explosion of colors in the flower market is incredible. And how beautiful and fresh the wonderful braided wreaths are! And I love the lovely colorful bouquets! But what I don’t like is that so much of this natural beauty is thrown in the trash.
Sidran, I wish you all the best !
Rosie from Germany 🌸🌸
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You see everything with an artistic vision. The flower market is one of the best places to be in Kolkata. Thank you, Rosie.
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Wat grote hoeveelheden bloemen en planten Wat een attractie daar temogen rondlopen.Dan gaat toch een heel andere wereld voor je open.
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Yes, it was a wonderful experience, thank you.
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