The blooming lanes of Kolkata — a photo story

Mallick ghat flower market is a representation of the chaotic, colorful canvas that is City of Joy

Strings of marigolds and hibiscuses, bouquets of roses, and mounds of petals and leaves create a tumultuous scene of colors at the hundred-and-thirty-year-old Mallick Flower Market in Kolkata. One of the biggest markets in Asia, it is a blossoming maze of around 4,000 shops selling everything from imported lilies and garlands to the sacred belpatras (Aegle marmelos).

Many flower sellers arrive as early as three in the morning from neighboring districts and villages. Some bring their flower lot with them, others have them delivered. People start trickling into this vibrant market early in the morning to get their supply for various occasions from weddings to religious purposes. The market supplies to the whole city, wholesalers as well as exports the flower to foreign markets. By 9 a.m. the crowd and chaos seem to dwindle only for bustling to begin again before the dawn breaks the next day.

On my first ever trip to Kolkata back in March, I spent a morning walking those lanes and talking to the people, at times feeling like an invasive photographer troubling them in their busy business time and at others, like a confidant they felt comfortable with sharing their stories.

A floral morning: Mallick flower is located under the Howrah Bridge and sits next to the Hooghly River.

The market looks like a sea of colors, garlands and humans. Garlands catering to different requirements and rituals are sold here.

A seller weighs the marigolds.

Ashadul started working in the market two years ago. His selling price is ten rupees higher than his cost price. He arrives at the market every night from his village, goes back before noon and repeats it all over again everyday.

Apart from flowers, decorative pieces are also made and sold in the market.

A seller hands a bouquet of roses to a customer.

Pramila Das runs the shop with Balwant Gupta, whose family came to Kolkata years ago. Gupta said ‘majburi aur bhakti’ (hardship and devotion) are the reality of almost everyone’s lives in the market. He believes that the shops that sell bel patras are the ones who can hope to make money because West Bengal is a devotional place and those leaves are as sacred as anything could get. If a shop doesn’t sell these leaves, they don’t make any money, he said.

A man walks through the narrow lanes for hours to sell a bunch of marigolds.

Among a sea of marigold garlands, a man sells a bouquet of Chrysanthemums.

Kartik Mondal (front), Subendu Patra (back), curious about life, cars and buildings in the U.S., sell a variety of petals, strings of flowers and leaves at their shop that they use as a makeshift shack to sleep at night. Their lot comes from neighboring districts of Kolkata. They don’t always make profits, even have losses, but that’s life, Mondal said.