Unique worshippers of Nagpur.

Unique worshippers of Nagpur.

India has a tradition of offering flowers among various other things to Gods during every ritual or Puja. 

We did not have a garden in our house from where we could get a supply of flowers for our daily puja. So to get a regular supply of flowers, I remember like a milkman who every morning delivered milk we also had a 'flower man' who delivered a small packet of flowers (फुलांची पुडी). Almost everyone who did not have their own flowers had a 'flower man' to meet their flower requirements for puja.

All along the morning walk route, there are houses. Some consist of four-floor buildings of flats. There are, even today some independent bungalows. Almost each and every house has some sort of garden maintained either by the bungalow owners or ground floor tenants of these flats. Each and every garden has a flower bed and flowering plants/Trees growing along with the boundary wall/fencing. In most of the houses, these flowering plants/trees have grown quite big and their branches spill over a bit outside the boundary wall. When in full bloom these flowers in these houses give pleasure not only to the residents but also to the general public passing along the road.   

Over the years, during my morning walk, I have noticed people who are also on their morning with small bags. Their eyes are constantly roving over the houses along the road. The moment they espy the flowers they make a beeline for the flowering plant. Pluck the flowers put them in their bags, almost stripping the plant of all its flowers, all without the permission of the house/ garden owner. Then they go in search of the next target. 

These gentlemen and ladies appear senior citizens or in their 40ties or 5oties. Either retired or from well to do families. They appear to be affluent enough to afford the few rupees needed to pay for the flowers required for the puja. 

Unique worshippers of Nagpur.

These worshipers of God do not use flowers from their own gardens nor do they buy them from the market but they use flowers purloined from the private gardens of neighbourhood   SO, I decided to call them

Unique worshippers of Nagpur.

  

What drives them to do such a thing has always baffled me.