Human Flower Project
Orrington, MAINE USA
Murrieta, CALIFORNIA USA
Princeton, MAINE USA
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Floods Cause Flower Shortage in India
Flower growers in Midnapore protest corruption in government supports; prices triple before big community festival.
Devi Durga
Photo: Sword of Truth
Heavy rains over the past three months have washed out the crops of flower farmers in Midnapore.
The flower shortage coincides with one of India’s busiest flower-buying seasons. According to today’s edition of the Statesman (Kollata, India), the Durga puja, a four-day celebration of Devi Durga began yesterday. Durga is one of Hinduism’s supreme Mother Goddesses, whose purity inspires humanity to shed its egoism and follow a life of sacrifice.
In the Ramayana, Lord Rama takes an army of monkeys to rescue his abducted wife from a ten-headed demon. Before his final battle, he seeks Devi Durga’s blessing.
“He was given to understand that the Goddess would be pleased only if she was worshipped with one hundred Blue Lotuses. After travelling and searching the whole world, Lord ‘Rama’ gathered only ninety-nine Blue Lotuses. So he finally decided to offer one of his eyes, which resembled Blue Lotuses. Durga, being pleased with the devotion of ‘Rama’, appeared and blessed him ….
“The fierce and decisive battle started on the day of ‘Saptami’ and Ravana was finally defeated and killed.’”
Saptami is being observed today, with community celebrations and home pujas (rituals). Both types of rites involves large quantities of flowers.
The Statesman reports, “Today 100 single pieces of lotuses sell at Rs 300 against Rs 100 last year,” and most other flower prices have at least doubled.
Many devastated flower farmers in the region have been unable to get the loans they need to recover. This is the second natural disaster for Midnapore farmers in 12 months. The Indian government released emergency funds to help after last year’s calamity but, the Statesman reports, most of those funds were diverted to “fictitious floriculturists.” Leaders in the agricultural region have taken charges of corruption and demands for compensation to the state horticulture minister.