Celebrate Deepavali with Mallipoo.com

You may be exhausted after the Navaratri and Dusshera two weeks ago and now it’s time to stay exuberant full on for Deepavali. Festive seasons are tiring, aren’t they?

Deepavali to precisely define ‘Deepa’ lamp and ‘Avali’ in a row, is the arrangement of lamps in a row or simply the festive of light. Deepavali is just round the corner next week on the November 10^th. Celebrated grandly not only in India but also in other countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Nepal to name a major few. Coming to the significance of Deepavali, there are many school of thoughts. According to one school of thought Deepavali is the day when Lord Krishna killed the demon Narkasura. Few others observe Deepavali as the day where Mata Kali killed the demon Raktavija. According to few other groups Deepavali is celebrated as a day of triumph and victory when Lord Rama returned to his kingdom after 14 years of forest exile following the victory over the demon Ravana. Certain groups in eastern part of India believe lighting lamp during Deepavali help show path to the spirits of ancestors returning to heaven. Whatever the belief system there is always a spiritual dimension to any festival celebrated and so also for Deepavali. Spiritually Deepavali is observed as the day for victory of good over evil or victory of light over darkness. Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and few other religious groups in India celebrate Deepavali with great pomp.

Cleaning the house and preparing goodies during Deepavali is a very common tradition that is performed in every household, many days prior to the festival. Houses are decorated with lamps, Rangolis and Flowers. Traditional flowers carry immense importance in Deeapvali. Houses are decorated with lamps, mango leaves and marigold flowers. Deepavali is celebrated across 5 days in major regions in India these include Dhanteras, Naraka Chaturdashi, Lakshmi Puja, Padwa and Bhai dooj. For Lakshmi Pooja the entrance of the house is decorated with flowers and rangoli to welcome the goddess of wealth. Rose, Samanthi or marigold flowers of various colors are scattered around to fill the Rangoli pattern as a welcoming sign for the goddess to bestow the house with wealth and happiness. Red loose flowers or strings carry special importance and these can be used to decorate the thali or plate that carry the sweets to be exchanged. Long stringed flowers can be decorated in pots or flower vase to be placed at the corner of the house. Freshly cut flowers and traditional flower strings can be used to decorate the doorways and streets giving an enriched look to the entire street. You could have handwritten Deepavali greetings with rose petals pasted on them as a gift for your loved ones. Ladies at home can have an excuse to decorate their hair with fragrance filled traditional jasmines and roses. Jasmine flowers, kangabharams, roses as strings can be gifted to your loved ones too.

This Deeapvali capture special moments with your family amidst great traditional flowers of Mallipoo.com. There is no more the hassle of physically going to the market and storing the flowers, Mallipoo.com is just a click away from the comfort of your home to deliver your selected flowers this Deepavali. Get in touch with Mallipoo.com today to explore your floral options this festive season. We believe that fragrance of traditional flowers will make this Deepavali even more memorable and cherishing!!!

Hearty, warm and safe Deepavali wishes from Mallipoo team!!! 

Puthandu and Vishu wishes – Usher in the flower of happiness

January 1^st of every year is indeed special to celebrate. Being in a multicultural nation, we have numerous new years celebrated across various regions besides January 1^st, isn’t that overwhelming? Alongside with Holi, Ugadi, Gudhi Padwa and several others we have a festive occasion that equally marks the beginning of a new year with peace and prosperity in Southern part of India especially Tamilnadu and Kerala. Yes, it’s Puthandu and Vishu. Tamil New Year or Puthandu celebrated on the first day of Tamil month Chitirai falls on 14^th Of April this year while Malayalam New Year Vishu that falls on the first day of the Malayalam month of Medam is on 15^th of April.

In some families during Puthandu and Vishu there is a tradition of arranging Vishu Kani. A large vessel ‘Uruli’ is filled with rice and arranged on with vegetables, fruits, coconut, lemon, money, jewels. A mirror is placed against the Uruli alongside an idol of lord Krishna. The family members are taken blindfolded to the kani and then open their eyes to view the Kani and its reflection in the mirror, in the light of the lamp burning aside the kani. Celebrations are incomplete without dainty dishes consisting of variety food spread, this is just the ‘Sadhya’ that is prepared during Puthandu and Vishu in households. A combination of foods that are sweet, salty, sour, bitter are prepared, emphasising the importance that life will be a mixture of pleasant, unpleasant incidents and that one has to cross over these tides smoothly without losing hope towards leading a happy life. The elders then gift the members with vishu kani mainly in the form of money or a gift. Any New Year celebration is to eradicate the darkness and bring in peace and prosperity in life. The Vishu Kani is a symbolic representation of things and resources that the almighty has gifted mankind. The significance to seeing Vishu kani in the morning hours of Vishu, implies that one shall be showered with prosperity, because that one sees is what one gets the entire year. Seeing the kani with the flower, vegetables, fruits, jewels, clothes, grains and money will also mean that the year one would have the blessings of the almighty to procure food, clothes, and other basic needs without much difficulty. Such gestures practiced during the festive occasion of Puthandu or Vishu is again to thank the Lord for all that he is provided us to sustain life on this earth.

Having mentioned about the Lord, any worship would be incomplete without an offering of flowers. The speciality of Vishu is the offerings of Kani Konna flowers (Cassia fistula) to Lord. These golden yellow flowers supposedly blossom between February to April and thus make them available in plenty for the festive occasion. Observing the flower mythology in ancient India, along with Kanni pookal, Tulasi mala is also one another special flower that is believed to be the favourite garlands among the devotees that is offered in the lord’s worship.

As worship of the lord is incomplete without flowers, likewise south Indian women are not considered fully groomed in the absence of a jasmine string in their hair. Especially on the eve of Puthandu and Vishu women do have a tradition to decorate their hair with jasmine strings. Then these could be only Jasmine strings or Jasmine combine with other flowers or even Tulasi, and of course rose flowers used for decorating the hair is an age old tradition followed by women in most of the regions across India.

Decades ago there were provisions and facilities to have own jasmine plantations at the backyard of one's house. Likewise Tulasi madam or an altar of Tulasi in the courtyard of one's house was a must. These were used for occasions such as these and also for other puja and festive rituals. With urbanisation and increasing number of concrete apartments we hardly find people interested in cultivating their own garden, and Tulsi madams are way beyond imagination to have these days. Luckily there are many options available these days that still make us possible to follow traditions without depriving our desire to offer flowers to the lord. Why not reap benefits of such facilities to brighten your homes with flowers on this festive occasion of Puthandu and Vishu? And Ladies, why not make use of on line facilities from the comfort of your home to obtain jasmine strings for your hair and make a pleasant atmosphere this Puthandu and Vishu? With the fragrance and aroma of flowers this New Year let peace, prosperity and happiness prevail in your homes. 

Iniya Puthandu Vazthukal and Vishu Ashamsakal from Mallioo Group !!!

Floriculture in India – The Untold story

Media plays a vital role in common man’s life for generating awareness of latest happenings around his surroundings. Well, the same holds true in any sector including those in farming business as well. Programs related to farming on TV, a news in regional or national newspaper or regional news telecast, is all that can make us and our farmer friends aware of what goes on in farming. The news on Modi government all desperate to make India game for GM crops is an eye catcher and has gained nationwide attention. Besides such trendy happenings in farming, there are snippets let out in media that gain effortless attention of public. ‘Drought in Assam, potato farmer commits suicide’, ‘Scientists to investigate methods to control pest infecting cabbage’. ‘Government to fund more to support farmers for cultivation of genetically modified crops’, and the list goes on. These snippets will but ensure that public is aware of what goes around with crop cultivation in India. Indeed, wheat, paddy, vegetables are important, and so is the news covering the challenges faced by farmers who are into crop cultivation. However it would be unfair to seclude the other side of horticulture. Yes, I mean to highlight the Floriculture sector of India in here, which has gained minimal or perhaps negligible media coverage so far.

Probably on the superficial level information on, ‘India to second China in flower production’ and news on ‘Flower cultivation business booming in southern part of India’ is covered. Nonetheless these are important to know, but as a farmer into flower cultivation is this enough? Being in Floriculture a farmer would like to have information on what challenges are faced by farmers into flower cultivation, and what actions are being reciprocated towards these problems by the agricultural industry and government. Like crop cultivation there are problems related to poor yield due to flood, water logging problems and drought that are faced in flower cultivation business too. To narrow down Jasmine cultivation in south India is being affected due to poor rainfall and a drop in ground water, and jasmine farm owners are forced to sell their agricultural lands to allow room for urban apartments. Such setbacks in cultivation are merely bought into notice of common man and farmers. When it comes to scented flowers like rose and jasmine which once were the cultural pride of south Indian girls are now no more fancied upon by women and girls falling for the western trend. This in turn is gradually hampering the sales and income of Jasmine florists. However export of jasmine is still considered and given significance to by the government, to encourage the jasmine farmers with cultivation of this flower. Has this news gone with the wind? There are price inflation concerns and so what is being done to address these issues? Sure, that government is coming forward with steps to address these concerns, but how is the farmer to know these when there is no such coverage on media, it goes as an untold story and the problems faced by floriculturists in India remain a mystery to everyone.

Today floriculture in India has uprooted from its nascent stage and is blooming with immense potential for employment generation and earning foreign currencies through export trends. The foreign market will depend on the quality of the products, and to influence the quality it is important to have an awareness of the latest trends and developments happening in floriculture which cannot be described and glorified enough other than media. Moreover for women in urban India who suffer from unemployment, floriculture is means to generate income. State governments are providing technical and financial support to all those states into flower business to establish proper storage and transportation facilities to avoid running of their products due improper storage. If this information goes untold many florists or farmers would be unable to reap the potential benefits provided by the government. Several schemes have been initiated by the government to help the floriculture industry flourish, however if these are not disclosed through proper channels those into floriculture business will be unaware of solutions to their problems, and may not be able to make their floriculture business flourish. This eventually could lead to a down turn in flower cultivation business with more and more farmers withdrawing without any clue of solution to their problems. This emphasis on the vital role that media plays in terms of influencing a farmer’s business, life and eventually India’s floriculture sector.

Landholding concerns, manure, fertilizers, quality of seeds, biocides, irrigation problems, scarcity of capital, storage and transportation problems, gap in demand and supply, inflation all these count in for challenges faced by farmers in flower cultivation. Why not highlight these problems and the solutions being thought about by the government? A long and promising road ahead that has the potential to put India on the global floriculture map, flower cultivation and farmers into this business are hard to ignore.

Why not unfold their stories and demystify the mystery that can create flowery headlines in media?