Saying it with flowers

By Ananda KANNANGARA

A group of foreign nationals who were on their way to Dalada Maligawa Kandy stopped at Peliyagoda and inquired from an elderly woman about a place where they could purchase flowers.

As it was a Full Moon Poya Day the woman was clad in pure white. She was proceeding towards Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara to observe sil.

The foreigners introduced themselves as members of a Buddhist delegation from Thailand. The elderly woman promptly replied that there was no place to buy flowers other than at the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara premises.

Although some members of the delegation were in Sri Lanka earlier, it was the first time that they visited the historic Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara. They were delighted with various kinds of beautiful flowers available in the vicinity of the temple.

They were watching with curiosity how devotees purchased beautiful flowers for religious services at the temple. A member of the tour group, while buying flowers from a shop asked whether they too could visit places where flower plants are cultivated.

The foreigners also saw how vendors were selling varieties of colourful flowers to people coming to the temple, while a group of school children were distributing flowers and oil lamps free of charge.

Beauty

The Sunday Observer spotted this rare incident of foreigners highly appreciating the beauty of our local wild flowers and also distributing them free of charge. They said that they had never seen some varieties such as nelum (lotus), Olu and Manel in their country.

A member of the group proposed a flower shop owner to take them to see a flower cultivation.

Kelaniya Rajamaha Vihara premises is not the only place to see varieties of colourful flowers. Various flowers could also be seen at places such as Kataragama Kirivehera, Bellanvila Temple, Kalutara Bodhiya and at the Pillawe Temple at Borelasgamuwa.

The flower business in our country has a long history of over 2000 years. History reveals that even during the periods of kings Dutugemunu and Devanampiyatissa, villagers were in the habit of picking flowers from ponds, lakes and rivers and selling them not only to devotees coming to temples, but also to decorate palaces of kings.

At present flowers are distributed throughout the country from areas such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Talawa , Kurunegala and a few other places where adequate water resources are available. Most of the local flowers which are used for religious purposes do not have English names, they are generally called in their Sinhala names such as Nelum, Olu, Nil Mahanel and Red Manel, Sudu Manel etc. These flowers are a little expensive when comparing to flowers that are brought from village gardens, streams and small lakes. According to statistics, the livelihood of over 2000 families in the country is selling flowers at religious places. The available statistics also reveal that in addition to the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara premises, Kalutara and Bellanvila are the other prominent places that people sell flowers.

An elderly person R. Sumanapala said he is in the flower selling business at Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya premises for the past 13 years.

Income

“There are over 40 flower shops opposite the temple and we do not have a fixed monthly income. Our daily income depends on the number of customers visiting our stalls”.

He said flowers are very expensive as they are brought from distant areas like Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa .

“During the week days we purchase small stocks of flowers, but during religious festival seasons and Full Moon Poya days we buy large stocks,”.

A 56-year old flower seller and a father of two, Y.R. Keerthisena who sells-flowers at Bellanwila Temple premises said lotus, olu and manel flowers are very cheap during the season between January and August and the same flowers are a little expensive during October to December every year.

He said during the off-season most flower sellers are used to buy various other kinds of small village flowers such as saman pitcha, wathu sudda and asoka mal, since there is a great demand for such flowers from people live in Colombo.

A 38-year old mother of three children Ramani Dayalatha of Pillawa at Borelasgamuwa said she has been in the flower selling business for the past 15 years.

She said Pillawa Temple at Borelasgamuwa has become very popular among schoolchildren, since many of them come here during GCE (O/L), (A/L) and Grade five scholarship periods to make vows for their examinations and also to fulfil them thereafter.

Construct

“There are 27 flower stalls at Pillawa and we have only one toilet. I appeal to the Divisional Secretariat to consider our pathetic situation and construct another toilet and a wash room.’

She said unlike in the past, generally the flower selling business is running at a loss because more traders have encroached the business now. She also said each stall owner has to pay a monthly rent of Rs. 600 and Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 750 as an annual tax.

She appealed the Divisional Secretariat to reduce the monthly rent considering the present situation of their business.

According to a long-standing flower seller, Gunapala Peiris at Kelaniya, some days a flower seller gets a daily income of Rs. 300 and during religious seasons some flower sellers earn over Rs. 4000 a day.

He said generally they sell four lotus flowers for Rs. 50 and six manel flowers for Rs. 20. and none of these flowers could be kept for more than three days.

According to Gunapala, almost all flower sellers do additional business such as selling clay pots, garlands, coconut oil, fruits, pooja baskets in addition to their normal business of selling flowers .

Gunapala also said flower sellers generally get a good income during Vesak, Poson, Duruthu and Bak Full Moon Poya days, but due to free distribution of flowers by schoolchildren during these special poya days most flower sellers face immense hardships.

A flower seller Sunil Gamini at Borelasgamuwa requested the authorities to help flower sellers to construct houses through Bank loans.

“As we earn only a meagre monthly income and there is no recognition to our traditional business, no bank gives housing loans to us. Therefore, I appeal to the President to look into our problems and help us.” He also recalled how former President Ranasinghe Premadasa visited their stall one night and discussed the grievances of flower sellers. He also helped many of us to construct houses through Janasaviya program.

He said the former President also wanted to give lands to needy flower sellers.