The Flower Wallah

By Mona Lyn Reese on March 19, 2007 in Life in India

Sanjeeve, The Flower Wallah

Every week, Sanjeeve, the Flower Wallah (man) comes to arrange the flowers. He drives up on his two-wheeler with a big bag of all kinds of different flowers. He has a flower farm not to far from our place and a florist shop right near the gate into our community.

Party Flowers

When he comes, Lakshimi and I set out all the vases and pick the flower colors. He brings florist foam and greens and clippers and everything right to your house. If you want something he hasn’t got with him, he scoots over to the shop and gets it.

Dining Room Flowers

I usually get an arrangement for my office, the dining room, two for the entry hall, a couple small bouquets for the bookcases (see the white and blue pitchers above) and some cut flowers for the bedroom.

Studio Flowers

The basket is in the studio. I’m sure you’re all thinking what an extravagant wretch I am, but no. All these flowers and arrangements cost about $25. I buy flowers every week; usually, I get about 15 bucks worth. This time, I went all out because Tom has been traveling and I wanted to do something special for his homecoming.

You see these daylilies as you come into the house, I have some bird of paradise on top of the cabinet. The two sly boots on the side love to knock over vases and drink from flower bowls.

Daylilies & Cats

Flowers are everywhere here. Part of daily life is offering flowers to God. You can buy long strings of jasmine and marigolds for your car, doorway, truck, or pooja room (prayer room, more on that later.) Women wear short strings in their hair.

Jasmine

Here is Lakshimi’s hairdo today. We were going shopping for new dresses for her, so she wore special flowers in her hair. I tried to get a picture of some street side flower sellers, but we must have been too late. They have huge baskets of flower strings all coiled up. Each basket is about the size of a flying saucer.

Everyone has a big jar of water right next to the entry and at other key areas in the home. The jars or vases are wide and shallow, like a champagne glass. These vases are meant to be looked down on. The important part of the design is the mouth of the vase.

This is my modest vase. The previous tenant left it, I want to get a nicer one.

Our Urly

Today, when I went for a massage, there was a small arrangement right under the hole in the table where you put your face. Just some Gerber daisies floating in front of your eyes. Very restful. Many people and establishments have elaborate designs made from petals and flowers. Some of the nicest I’ve seen are at the spa here in Palm Meadows.

Urly with Flower Petals

Here’s a picture of a friend’s pooja room:

Pooja Room

You can see the strings of flowers I was talking about. This room is off a main room on the way out of the house. There are incense burners, spices, and flowers for offering prayers. The front silver tray contains little dishes with spices in them as does the silver box next to it. Depending on family custom, Hindus pray before leaving the house or entering or on other occasions too diverse for me to keep straight. It is a lovely thing.

Our Pooja Room

We have a pooja room too. Guess what’s in ours?!! Not surprised at all are you?!

This little Bacchus has been around our house for at least 15 years—the wine God. Our carpenter ( a Hindu man) had not heard of him, but he was all for worshipping the god of choice.