Mahalaxmi Fresh Flowers

We are located at 7 Borivali West in the Ton Compound, right across from the Choice Center. The shop stays quite cool because we have to keep the flowers from wilting in the Mumbai heat. Every morning starts at four or five when the trucks arrive from the market with fresh loads of jasmine, marigolds, and roses. There is always water on the floor from the buckets and the smell is very strong, which is nice compared to the exhaust fumes outside. We spend a lot of time stripping thorns off roses or tying garlands with thick thread. Our hands are usually stained green or orange by the time the afternoon rolls around. The compound can be a bit tricky to find if you are new to the area but the locals know where we are. We have a small radio that plays old songs while we work. Sometimes we run out of certain flowers because a big wedding happened nearby and bought us out. We don't do fancy arrangements with ribbons and glitter much. It is mostly just fresh flowers sold by weight or in simple bunches for people to take home or to the temple. It is a lot of standing up and our backs often ache by closing time but seeing the bright colors every day is a good way to make a living. We have a few old buckets that we use to keep the scrap stems aside for the goats that pass by in the alley later on.