Srinagar, Oct 22: For the past seven years, it has become routine for 24-year-old, Sikander Ali to sell his flowers on the waters of the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar.
Sikander is popularly known by the code name ‘Mr. Marvellous flower man of Kashmir. He got this code name from a German tourist, who had come to visit Kashmir. From local to international varieties of flowers, he sells all in his small Shikara boat.
Hailing from Akhoon Mohalla adjacent to NIT Srinagar, he is continuing his family business of selling flowers inside the famous Dal Lake and is satisfied with his work.
From Chrysanthemum, Cosmos, African daisies, Bluebell flower, Aster flower, Lotus Marigold, Floss Flower, Mealycup Sage, Orchid, Glardlya, Carnations, Jasmine, heart flower, Bird of Paradise, Celosia and lavender etc are the main attractions of his Shikara.
Sikander told Rising Kashmir that the life span of these flowers’ ranges from 10 days, 6 months to 1 year and it can be beyond that. Their beauty will remain the same as it. Some of them look artificial but they are realorganic, he said.
He says they also sell Kashmiri roses in three colours including blue, black and green. We are selling around 350 seeds of varieties of flowers in Kashmir, Sikander said.
“Except in Australia and New Zealand, tourists across the globe purchase these flowers from us,” he said.
Sikander says over the past few years, the market for flowers and plants in Kashmir is gaining momentum as people are showing interest in gardening, demanding newer varieties.
Currently, Sikander is purusing his graduation at Gandhi Memorail College in Srinagar and is hopeful that the flower industry in Kashmir will boom in upcoming years.
“In upcoming years, Kashmir will have a great scope for flower business because of favourable weather conditions and good connectivity with the national and international market,” he said.
Sikander says earlier there was a demand only for local varieties. But now we get plants from outside the valley too. The demand for imported varieties has also gone up.
“Each day I come early in the morning with my flowers and return in the evening with only a few. I will continue this business and keep my family’s name alive in the waters of this Dal Lake,” he said.
