Indian loose-flower mandis

What it is

Sacks and baskets of orange and yellow marigolds, white jasmine buds, tuberose, pink and red desi roses, crossandra, chrysanthemums and lotus buds arrive by truck and train through the night. Traders tip them into heaps and sell by weight. Alongside sit garland makers, sellers of banana leaves, betel leaves, tulsi and mango leaves, and stalls of ready strung garlands. Buyers are temple suppliers, wedding decorators, street vendors and households shopping for a festival.

The famous markets

In Mumbai the phool market stands beside Dadar railway station. In Kolkata, Mullick Ghat market spreads along the bank of the Hooghly under the Howrah Bridge. Bengaluru's is in and around Krishna Rajendra Market, known as KR Market or City Market. Chennai's wholesale flower trade is at Koyambedu. Delhi's flower sellers were moved from several older sites to a single mandi at Ghazipur on the eastern edge of the city. Madurai is known above all for its jasmine.

How it works

Trading begins around three or four in the morning and is mostly done by eight or nine. Prices move by the hour and jump before festivals such as Dussehra, Diwali, Onam and Pongal, and in the wedding season. Farmers sell through commission agents, who take a share of the price. Jasmine is picked as tight buds and must sell the same day. Marigolds travel better, and some come from several states away.

Why loose flowers

Indian flower use is built on the garland, the offering and the floor pattern, none of which needs a stem. A flower is offered to a deity, tied in the hair, strung across a doorway or scattered at a wedding. Scent and colour matter more than a long vase life. That is why the main crops are marigold, jasmine, tuberose and scented roses, and why markets sit close to temples and railway stations.

How to take part

1. Go between five and seven in the morning, when the market is in full swing and there is enough light to see.
2. Wear closed shoes. The ground is wet and covered in trodden flowers.
3. Buy a small weight of jasmine or a garland from a retail stall at the edge. Wholesalers deal in kilograms.
4. Keep valuables close, and step aside for porters carrying loads on their heads.

Good manners

• Ask before photographing people at work, and do not block a stall while you do it.
• Do not smell flowers that are being bought as offerings. By custom they should reach the deity unsmelled.
• Bargain politely on retail purchases and not at all over a few rupees.

The flowers

Aztec marigoldThe golden-yellow flower of Mexican altars and Day of the Dead offeringsArabian jasmineA small white jasmine with a strong, sweet scent, treasured in Asia for garlands and ceremoniesChrysanthemumAutumn-blooming flower with thousands of varieties, cherished in East Asia and beyondSacred lotusThe pink aquatic flower sacred in Asia and grown for food, worship and beauty

Also part of it, and being written: Agave amica, Crossandra infundibuliformis, Rosa × damascena.

Sources and further reading

• Mallick Ghat Flower Market on Wikipedia