Cyclone even not spared the Gods
VISAKHAPATNAM : Cyclone Hudhud has not spared even the Gods it would appear, for poojas are being offered to deities in many temples without flowers.
However, in major temples like Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam at Simhachalam, contractors are under extreme pressure to supply flowers for performing rituals; all this on the account of the extensive damage done to flower farms in the district.
In a majority of temples, poojas are being offered with turmeric, kumkum, 'akshinthalu', 'Tulasi dalam' and only a handful of flowers, for the latter are either unavailable or are being sold at twice the normal price.
Lakshmi Pooja on Diwali was also performed without flowers at many places. As the demand for flowers is quite high, traders are getting flowers from far off places like Rajahmundry and Ravulapalem and selling them at premium prices. Over 70 per cent of flowers being sold in the city arrive from Anandapuram Market from where the retail traders buy them.
'Hudhud has destroyed all our flower farms. Now, nothing is left in our farm, which is in an extent of an acre. Very few farms withstood the fury of the storm, but the plants are still too young to produce flowers. When they do, Karthika Masam will end,' rued Tavitinaidu, a floriculturist.
The scarcity of flowers is causing much inconvenience to devotees, this also being the time for 'Ayyappa Deeksha' when most of the devotees offer poojas. Though offering garlands to the presiding deity is a sacrament in any temple, the devotees are offering smaller ones for now.
Meanwhile, the demand for flowers is set to continue till January in view of the wedding season, but there are no possibilities of the flower market blooming in the immediate future.
News Posted: 28 October, 2014
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