Unlike its pearly white Agra namesake, this Taj Mahal is a rosy red and finds its home in Hosur. That’s when it is not flying to Malaysia three times a week.Taj Mahal rose garlands, a favourite among Lord Murugan devotees, are sent from Hosur to the Batu Malai Murugan temple near Kuala Lumpur almost every day. “This rose has a deep red colour, velvety petals and a pleasant fragrance,” says V Suresh, one of the cultivators. “It’s a symbol of love and beauty, and in demand throughout the year in foreign and local markets. It’s one of our best-sellers.”It’s not just the Taj Mahal. The Bordeaux, Redcorviti, Allanji and Royal Circus are other popular rose varieties that are exported to Singapore, Malaysia and West Asia.“The rose garlands are made with six types of flowers such as sendumalli, vaadamalli and sambangi poo. We also use marigold and panneer leaves to keep the garlands from withering,” says Suresh. Cultivators say 70% of Hosur flower garlands are used for temples, weddings and political rallies.About 1,000 garlands are sent to Malaysia from Hosur every week. “The climate in the Hosur region is conducive to vegetable and flower cultivation year-round,” says Suresh. It’s perfect for growing marigolds, sendumalli, button roses, panneer roses, and jasmine.The roses are cultivated on 150 acres in Bagalur, Thally, Kunthukottai and Berigai in Krishnagiri. “We can produce two million Taj Mahal roses every day. We touch 10 million on Valentine’s Day,” says T Mani, a grower in Berigai. The roses, he says, are sold at `20 a flower in normal times, and more than double that price in Feb.
