KATHMANDU, Oct 15: Tihar is not just about worshipping Goddess Lakshmi, firecrackers or sharing sweets and gifts. It is also about decorating houses and flowers top the list to decorate houses to attract deities that are believed to be active in the atmosphere during festive seasons.
But the skyrocketing prices of daily commodities can be a pain in the neck for people preparing to celebrate the festival. With the prices of daily commodities shooting up in the market, flowers cannot be an exception.
“Since we are celebrating Tihar much earlier this time, we are likely to see shortage of flowers. Flower prices may go through the ceiling this year as compared to past years,” says Arun Chhetri, President of Floriculture Association of Nepal (FAN).
The Valley is likely to see short supply of flowers like Chrysanthemum (Godavari), marigold and Gomphrena Globosa (Makhamali) that are widely used during Tihar.
According to FAN, the country needs more than 500,000 marigold garlands during Tihar. To meet the demand, we have imported more than 300,000 flowers from India and around 100,000 are being collected from local farms, added Chhetri.
Florists import flowers for Tihar from Indian cities like Kolkata, Siligudi and local farms in Kavre, Dhading, Sindhupalchowk and areas close to the Valley. While flowers like marigold are imported from India, Makhamali that is the most for Bhai Tika, the fifth day of the festival, is supplied by local farms.
“We are importing marigolds from India as local marigolds tend to wither out soon,” Chhetri added. Since Indian sellers have increased flower prices, this is likely to show its effects in local market, he added. He also said marigold garlands, which are being sold in the range of Rs 40 to Rs 200, are likely to be dearer than previous years.
Sitaram Pant, owner of The Fresh Flower Shoppe in Jawalakhel, also said flower prices could rise this year. “The price of almost everything, including transportation fares, goes up during festive seasons. It is obvious for the flower prices to swell up,” Pant said, adding garlands that are sold at Rs 24 a unit on normal days could be priced as much as Rs 50. Pant targets to sell more than 1,500 Makhamali garlands during the festival. He has also ordered more than 5,000 marigold garlands from India.
Though flower business fares well during festive seasons, the unmanaged sales on the streets by seasonal sellers act as a hindrance for flower shops, according to Pant. Chhetri echoed Pant and said that FAN has not been able to forecast flower prices due to such unmanaged sales.
“People buy flowers regardless of the price. That is why there is no uniformity in prices in the market,” rued Chhetri.
Whatever the flower business be, people will have to dig deep into their pockets to arrange flowers for this Tihar festival.
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