Baba Khadak Singh Marg Flower Market - An obituary

It is 4' O Clock in the morning. While the Delhiwallas are fast asleep , a certain set of people in Delhi are preparing to start their day well before the first sun rays hit the rooftops of Delhi buildings. These are no ordinary people. They are the Flower sellers of Delhi or should I say NCR! They are the phoolwallahs who deliver those lovely Lilies, carnations, roses, gladioli, the birds of heaven, narcisus , jasmine, mogra, lotus, orchids in several hues and many other flowers that a lay man like me is not knowledgeable enough to recognize. These flowers adorn our rooms, form bouquets for our loved ones, shape heavy garlands that is exchanged during 'varmala' in Indian weddings. The flowers for that vase in the hotel lobby or the one which is tucked in the hairdo of Indian woman, or the bouquet which a lovelorn sends to his muse. 

The marigolds or 'genda phool, now made famous by the song in film 'Delhi 6' - this humble Indian flower is most commonly used during pooja (idol worship) by the Hindus. This market also delivers the white tube roses - Rajnigandhi which emanates heady fresh fragrance. But this is also the preferred flower which forms a wreath!

Rows of stalls line up on the opposite road to Hanuman Mandir stretching from the Coffee House right upto Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts buildings. It is a riot of colors, smells which is extremely rejuvenating for the weary soul and senses of the city dwellers.

I had to digress, because the flowers are such that it needs more attention than the sellers. All these men and some women from different parts of the city and suburbs head towards the grand old CP or Connaught Place to sell and buy fresh cut flowers. This is the market which provides flowers to the city of Delhi and NCR. This colorful and unique morning bazaar starts at the early hours say around 5 and wraps up by 9 am. In the semi darkness of the wee hours, the tempos, trucks and carts laden with fresh flowers from nearby areas as well as other cities assemble for the morning bazaar. Soon brisk transaction starts, deals are stuck after vociferous haggling and animated bargaining goes in right till the last bud has changed hands.

This market not only caters to the flowers shops but also individuals. I picked up few bunches of Lilies, orchids and birds of heaven for a steal - at half the price that one pays for the same flowers at Khan Market or Ferns & Petals. So if you are adventurous and can forgo few hours of extra sleep on a lazy Sunday morning, and only if you love flowers, then shrug off the early morning blues, drive down or rather cycle down to the old CP savor the early morning Flower Raga, pick up that lovely bunch of Lilies, carnations or rose and wake up your muse with the fresh bunch of flowers. That surely would be remembered as one of the most romantic mornings by your beau!. After all, in the age of 'Home Delivery' and 'online order' how many of us actually bring flowers for our loved ones!

Alas! the municipal corporation of Delhi thought this market to be unauthorized and a nuisance, hence decided to shift this landmark to an obscure Ghazipur in the outskirts of East Delhi in 2011. Only a morbid Indian bureaucracy could think of this unthinkable!. The world governments encourage such markets to encourage tourism. But not in India!