I am one of several women with flower stalls lining the street in front of the temple. I transform the buds into strings and garlands for worship and adornment. Although I have several different types of flowers for sale, jasmine is the top seller. I cut off
mozham lengths (as measured between my wrist and elbow) of the strung buds for Tamil women who adorn their hair with these fragrant flowers. Having a stall in front of the temple assures that I have many customers to purchase my oleander, lotus, andchrysanthemums to adorn the deities. As it is Saturday today, I have also brought some small lamps with sesame seed-covered wicks, to be purchased by the devout seeking to appease the planet Saturn. My day starts early – around 6:15. I close up my stall around 10:30, returning to my house to make a larger noon meal for my family. It’s then off to the auction; I must be careful to get a good price in order to make a profit – perhaps about 200 rupees per day. It’s not much, but definitely better than having to take out a loan to buy flowers for tomorrow. Then it’s back to the stall, where I begin stringing in earnest in order to have cubits of flower garlands ready for sale the next day. As darkness falls, the air is almost intoxicating, the buds having opened up in their full glory.
Artwork available for sale.
Blank greeting cards can be purchased at Zazzle
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