Unique flower market of Kolkata at Mullick Ghat on the banks of the Hooghly

Flowers are required for any ritual from different pujas and birthdays to wedding and death. When the requirement is for bulk supply, all eyes focus on the wholesale market at Mullick Ghat in Kolkata. It is located on the banks of the Hoogly River opposite the Howrah Railway Station and comes to life with the first rays of the sun. The flower sellers arrive at dawn by train with the fresh flowers from their far-off villages. It is not just about flowers, but innumerable decorations with flowers that has survived for well over a century. Rammohan Mullick built the ghat in 1855. It was in memory of his father Nimai Charan Mullick. Another ghat known as the Jagannath Ghat, built by Shobharam Basak in 1760, stands right next to the Mullick Ghat. The history of how the flower trade originated at Mullick Ghat is not known. However, it might have links to the religious factor related to pilgrims heading to Puri. Today, this ghat is one of the most vibrant, active and crowded sections of the Hooghly along Kolkata. Mullick Ghat market: Saying it with flowers for well over a century. In the words of a member of the seller’s association of the market, this part of Kolkata attracts innumerable people every day.

They come from different parts of Bengal regularly and the market caters to all kinds of budgets. This is [one of] Asia’s largest flower markets. It is a fact that like other businesses elsewhere, this has also dwindled. The sellers have to be content with negligible profits. However, the endless varieties of requirements for different rituals and festivals that happen throughout the year brings home something extra. As a veteran explains - “Ever since the pandemic, the sales at the market are not encouraging or healthy at all, and we are just able to make ends meet.” When one comes across a flower or a flower decoration when in Kolkata, one must remember that such a creation is a result of the hard toil and daily struggle of countless people. They include those who grow them and transport them from far-off villages to the market in Kolkata.

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This happened in 1979. It was Mahalaya – a day when people pay respect to their parents who are no longer with them. It would be a first time for me because I had lost my father the previous year. Therefore, I decided to drive on my scooter to Ram Kund in Nashik. This place is on the River Godavari and considered a holy place. On days like this, there are innumerable priests available to perform the rituals. One of my friends wanted to accompany me. He, like me, had also lost his father the previous year. We decided to leave our township by 6am, drive down to Ram Kund, carry out the tarpan and be back by 6.45 am. That way we could return in time to attend our duties at 7am.

At such an early hour of the day, the traffic on the highway was less. It was the Mumbai-Delhi National Highway No 3 – and it had only two lanes. Today, it is an 8-lane highway. Anyway, we reached the holy spot, did the tarpan and began our journey back. It was the start of another day and traffic had increased on the road. I was driving the scooter and as I approached our township, I saw a truck ahead of me. It was moving at a slow speed and I wanted to overtake it. As I edged out towards the right, I saw another truck coming from the opposite direction. Instinctively, I tried to squeeze into the space between the two trucks – and succeeded. Of course, the drivers let out expletives and I did not wait to hear them out. I had to hurry because the time was nearly 7am! I added this incident into the category of other similar near-death incidents in my life.


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