By IANS
New Delhi : What’s the ideal gift for your valentine? “Flowers!” youngsters shout in unison. No matter what the latest trend magazine says about the other more interesting gift options for your beloved, it’s flowers, and especially roses, for the old and young alike on Valentine’s Day in the capital.
The Delhi University (DU) area in north Delhi was throbbing with life early Thursday morning as students thronged the flower vendors in every nook and corner of the campus.
Askok Tiwari, a flower vendor in Roopnagar, close to DU, said that Valentine’s Day was special for him simply because it meant “great business”.
“I have no clue why they celebrate Valentine’s Day. But I am happy as long as they do, because from a week before and a couple of day after this day my business simply blossoms,” Tiwari told IANS.
A stem of rose that otherwise would cost Rs.5, shoots up to Rs.25-30, even Rs.50, on Valentine’s Day. Yet there are many takers.
“Roses are most in demand on this day. But lately people have also started buying other flowers like gladioli and carnations. Girls especially love carnations, and that too the pink variety,” Rajesh, another flower seller in the area, said.
So much is the craze for roses that guards have been manning the blooming rose garden of the Vice Chancellor of DU, right outside his office – a favourite place for the students to pluck a couple of roses for their beloved!
“These roses are the winning variety which we will showcase for the university flower show next week. That’s why we are keeping an eye so that youngsters don’t pluck them, which they usually do on this day,” said a gardener.
The Jawahar Gulab Vatika, as the rose garden is called, is guarded closely from six in the morning to 10 at night on Feb 13 and 14.
“Roses are just too expensive on this day… I just went to a vendor who was selling them for Rs.50 a stem! That’s why we try and pluck them from the VC’s garden. After all, flowers are meant to give joy and what better way to do that than gift it to someone and make that person smile!” said Akshit Mukherjee, a second year student of Hansraj college, cheekily.
Ashmita Singh, a schoolteacher in south Delhi, is one of those who religiously picks a bouquet of roses for her husband on Valentine’s Day.
“It’s a ritual, since our courtship days 10 years back! As for him, he gives me a bunch of pink carnations, my favourite,” Singh said.
Besides flowers, chocolates, cards, trinkets and stuffed toys are the other hot favourite gifting options on this day. Shops such as the Archies gallery and Hallmark are decorated with red heart shaped balloons and flooded with people making last minute purchases through the day.
However, not everyone believes in the concept of Valentine’s Day.
Ananya Sharma, a home-maker, said: “I don’t believe that there is one particular day to tell your beloved how much he or she means to you. Valentine’s Day has become more of a commercial gimmick which youngsters fall trap to.”
“For me, it’s more important to express to my loved ones how much they mean to me every single day. For me, it’s Valentine’s Day everyday!” she said.