Roughly about 25 per cent of Coimbatore’s population being Malayalees, flower sale for Onam festival was brisk on Monday. The festival set the cash registers ringing in the over 200 flower shops in the poo market.

Onam, the state festival for Kerala, is a local holiday in Coimbatore district. Drawing ‘pookalam’(flower kolam) is one of the important features of the festival.

A D Alavudeen, a third generation flower seller in the market, said flowers like Marigold, Globe Amaranth (vada malli) and other colorful flowers arrived at the market from all over the Coimbatore district for the Onam festival.

He said that the flowers like globe amaranth sold for Rs 140 per kilogram, marigold for Rs 100 and roses for Rs 240 per kg. Onam apart, a series of festivals like Vinayagar Chathurthi and Bakrid and muhurtham days in a row has led to a spurt in the flower sale for the past one month.

With no transparency on the price of the flowers, consumers want rates to be displayed on the boards. “It is essential to display the flower price so that consumers are not cheated,”said a consumer.