Mahottari. As the Tihar festival is approaching, the flowers of the local vegetable have become a source of cash for the locals.

The locals are happy after the traders in search of flowers started giving the money. The housewives here have started earning money from some of the plants planted for the decoration of their houses and courtyards. “There must be about 50 hundred leaf saplings around the house, the traders have already handed over 1,000 bananas,” said Haripriya Mahato, a housewife of Bhangaha-5, Rajpur. ’

According to him, the traders have offered to pay one thousand more rupees when they come to collect flowers. “I never thought I would get money from flowers, but now the businessmen are coming to my house and giving money,” said Ramwati Chaudhary, a neighbour of Haripriya. He said that he received Rs 2,000 from about 60-65 saplings of marigold and 15-16 velvet flowers. Chaudhary is hoping to plant 200 flowers during Diwali next year.

In Mithila, Diwali is considered to be a festival of various flower garlands and the illumination of twinkling lights everywhere. Flowers have become a source of income due to the increasing demand for garlands required for the Maithili tradition of Crow Puja, Laxmi Puja, Godhan and Bhaiya Dooj during this festival. Traders who enter the settlement÷s in search of flowers before the festival have started paying more than the expected price.

Although there is not much commercial cultivation of straw in the district, agricultural experts say that it is now a possibility. Information Officer at Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Mahottari, Abiral Mahato, said that commercial farming would open the way for more reliable income in the district if the commercial farming was started targeting the festivals like Deepawali, Chhath and other religious rituals, worship and ceremonies.