Expansive carpets of natural flowers are being rolled out in the hamlets of Gundlupet in Karnataka as flowers such as sunflower, marigold and chrysanthemum have started to bloom in all their glory. After a few weeks, the vistas at these villages would be out of this world. Though the marigold flowers have just started to blossom, the sunflowers are in full bloom. The Gundlupet flowers are used to make oil and by paint-making companies. During Onam (August-September) in Kerala, the flowers are also brought to the state to creatively weave the floral carpet 'pookkalam' as part of the harvest festival and the flower growers make a decent profit in three months.
Earlier, many Keralites were involved in flower farming in Gundlupet but now some of them had switched to cultivation of ginger and banana. Though flower farming is very popular, only a few Kerala farmers are currently into floriculture.
People travelling on the Kozhikode-Mysuru national highway were always dazzled by the flower fields alongside the throughway. The number of people visiting the Gundlupet flower fields dipped drastically in the past two years due to COVID-19 pandemic. With the lifting COVID-19-induced travel restrictions, people are now visiting the flower fields in droves.
