Srinivasa Perumal Temple Mylapore Flower Vendor

75 year old Rani had enjoyed two decades of brisk business and even expanded her offerings in recent times but the lockdown has left her in a state of shock

Rani thought she had seen the toughest of times in the early 1980s when there were minimal devotees in temples but the experience of the last four months following the lockdown has left her completely shocked. 

Forty year ago, she made her entry into the Srinivas Perumal Vedanta Desikar Temple in Mylapore as a young flower vendor in her 30s. Devotees did not flock to the temples as they have in the last decade or so. She brought just a couple of variety of flowers on one small plate to cater to the few local devotees. She took delight from the fact that she sold something that found a place in the heart of the Lord and Thayar. 

At the turn of the century, her business took off on a big upward curve following the devotional wave that struck temples in Tamil Nadu. The Brahmotsavam in Vaikasi grew bigger and bigger in terms of devotee support. The round the year utsavams and the sudden rise in devotees' faith in invoking the Lord's blessings on specific days every week and Prarthanai Sevai ensured that sales grew beyond what she had visualised when she first sat in front of the temple all those decades ago.

To the Koyambedu market at 4am

In the early phase of her career, she went to the flower market in Parrys to buy limited variety of flowers that the devotees sought. But in the last two decades, the range increased dramatically to include Malli, Mullai, Jaadhi, Kanakambaram, Manoranjitham, Thazhampoo, Magizhampoo and Rose, among other varieties. 

With the growth in the devotee base, her day began very early as she shifted her purchase location from Parrys to the whole sale market in Koyambedu. With the expansion in business, she could afford to take an auto to Koyambedu at 4am from her home in Mandaveli, each day of the year, to bring large quantities of  these wide ranging flowers to be at the Vedanta Desikar temple for the Vishroopam Sevai. 

An indication of the transformation in her business was seen from the fact that on special days every week, when the flowers sold out in the first half, she made a second auto trip in the day, this time to Parrys to buy flowers for the evening session.  

The pick up in business was so good that that her daily routine in temple related work extended from 4am to noon in the first half and to 9pm in the evening.

Expands Product Range

In fact, her business had grown so well that she expanded to a product range that included ghee (to light lamp), Kalkandu and other dry fruits. Every Thursday, she would also make Elaichi Maalai that was a specialty of the day.

Lockdown- Drastic fall in business

When the lockdown was announced in the 2nd half of March, she, like most others, thought that it would last a fortnight or so and was hopeful that life would be back to normal by end of April, ahead of the Brahmotsavam in Vaikasi, a phase when her sales shoots up. And then as the lockdown extended month on month, with the latest announcement through till the end of August, she began to feel a severe financial pinch. With the temple closed for devotees, her business  reduced quite drastically.

Worst still, in March, she had stocked large quantities of Ghee and Dry fruits ahead of the big Utsavams in Panguni but she was caught unawares by the sudden announcement of the lockdown. The dry fruits went unsold. And several months later, she still has a few bottles of Ghee at home. 

With the shutdown of temples for devotees, the quantity of her purchase has reduced by well over 80%. Her daily routine of 40 years too has changed. She now arrives at the temple at 7am and leaves by around 9am after having sold the limited quantity of flowers. And she does not come back in the evening. 

Like most others, the 75 year old Rani stands each day in front of the Srinivasa Perumal temple and invokes the blessings of the Lord, from outside, praying for the lifting of the lockdown in temples so she can resume her business and recover from the financial burden that she has now felt for over four months.