Date:09/08/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/08/09/stories/2005080900971900.htm

Back Flower Bazaar still blooms for some vendors

N. Ramakrishnan

Retail flower trade in Badrian Street, Chennai. — Bijoy Ghosh

Chennai , Aug. 8

`POO-K-KADAI,' or Flower Bazaar, refers to a crowded area of Parry's that encompasses, typically, businesses of all types. There is even a police station named Flower Bazaar police station.

Although the wholesale flower business, from which the area got its name as Flower Bazaar, has shifted to the western fringe of the city, that part of Parry's continues to be referred to by almost everyone even now as "Poo-k-kadai."

The place once occupied by the wholesale flower trade is now a parking bay for State transport corporation buses. There are still a handful of flower sellers on the pavement in that area.

But, almost directly opposite the erstwhile flower market, is the narrow Badrian Street, branching off from the busy NSC Bose Road. At the entrance to Badrian Street are some stationery shops and paper converters and printing presses. Badrian Street is one of the streets that one could take to go to what was once the Kothwal Chavadi - the city's wholesale vegetable market, which along with the flower trade has shifted to Koyambedu.

A few metres into Badrian Street, lining both sides of the perennially crowded street are scores of flower sellers, all of them catering to the retail market. Malli (jasmine) ten rupees, shouts out a shopkeeper. Another quotes a different rate. Women haggle, trying to get the price reduced by even 10 paise.

There is a constant stream of buyers, the concrete road covered with rotten flowers is not an issue nor is the constant jostling by buyers and vendors alike. On a street when you would think that walking itself is an achievement, a conservancy lorry belonging to the Chennai Corporation backs into the street to clear assorted waste.

Business is down, the flower sellers say, pointing out that this is because the wholesale flower market was shifted to Koyambedu. Earlier, mini-lorries carrying flowers from places such as Madurai used to come directly to the flower bazaar, which was then the heart of the flower trade in the city. Even flower sellers from places two-three hours outside Chennai used to come to the flower bazaar to buy their daily requirement of flowers.

That is no longer the case, says Mr P. Dhanaraj, President, Chennai Retail Flower Sellers Welfare Association. Badrian Street has only retail sellers - those selling different flowers - jasmine, chrysanthemum, Crossandra and others - mainly to women who knot them into garlands and sell them at street corners.

Adds Mr Paulraj, buyers come for 300 g or 500 g of flower, unlike earlier when they would pick up larger quantities. The retailers get flowers from the Koyambedu wholesale market, and from farms on Chennai's periphery.

The shopkeepers on Badrian Street get commission at the rate of 6 paise or 7 paise for every rupee of flowers they sell, says Mr K. Chandran, a flower seller. That is, if he sells flowers for Rs 1,000 in a day, he will get to keep Rs 70. Some flower sellers earn up to Rs 700 a day and after paying for various wages, they net Rs 250-300 a day, he adds.

There are over 50 flower sellers on Badrian Street and going by the crowd and cacophony, it would appear that there were more. A number of them have been allotted shops in the Koyambedu wholesale market for retail trade, but even they would prefer to do business on Badrian Street.

That is because, says Mr Thangam Peter, a flower seller, the space for retail flower sellers is on the first floor and not many buyers want to come to the first floor to buy their requirement. And, Badrian Street is more easily accessible than Koyambedu, especially for those wanting at the most, 1 kg of flowers. Badrian Street offers flowers, plastic bags to carry them and fibre of the banana plant that is used to knot the flowers into garlands. So, a women who sells flowers on a street corner in, say, Mylapore can get all that she requires in Parry's - an area that is well connected by bus to all parts of the city - instead of going to Koyambedu, is the reasoning of the flower sellers on Badrian Street, as they justify continuing with their business.