Click to play videoThiruvananthapuram: As Kerala gears up to celebrate Onam, the demand for flowers in Kerala has risen like never before.
Perhaps the greatest attraction of the festival is the 'Atha Poovu' or the floral designs.
And cashing in on the demand are traders in neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
As the demand for flowers shoots up in the Onam season, traders rarely miss the opportunity to make some quick bucks at Thovala, an exclusive flower market on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.
"Onam time is great business. Last couple of months had been dull but now since Onam is around the corner prices have gone up very nicely. Flower which was being sold at Rs 10 a basket is now going at more than Rs 40," says Selvaraj a trader at Thovala.
It's not just traders, in the Onam season, farmers also reap the profits. There are hundreds of farmers living around Thovala who keep up a never-ending supply of flowers to the market. And for these, farmers have to brave extreme shortage of water to cater to the ever-growing demand.
"We aim Onam as the reaping period when we sow the seeds for these flowers. It is during this period that we can get some profit. So even if there is acute shortage of water, we somehow manage to cultivate the flowers," says Pon Murugesan, one of the farmers.
The fruit of their labour cross the border to reach households in Kerala to adorn the floral designs or pookalams. And this is what makes an Onam worthwhile for any Malayalee.
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