It is the scent of jasmine that first hits you at Thovalai, located at the southern tip of India. Sprawling carpets of colour spread across wide vistas greet you, as you enter here. The air is filled with the thick fragrance of myriad flowers, even as king-size garlands hanging on both sides welcome you. Though located in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, Thovalai has always been the ‘official’ flower market of Kerala.
A pristine village located in Kanyakumari district which borders Kerala, Thovalai is the perfect getaway for those who are inclined towards nature. A short detour from the National Highway to Kanyakumari near Nagercoil takes you to this village made distinct with its vibrant dash of colours all along the way. To locals, Thovalai is synonymous with flowers of all shapes, sizes and hues.
The market here begins as early as 4 am. Thovalai is the sole supplier of flowers to many parts of Kanyakumari district and some parts of Kerala. Come Onam, people from border villages flock to this unassuming market-place with its fresh produce on sale at really affordable prices. In addition to home-grown flowers like jasmine, lotus and roses, many varieties of roses and marigold from Salem and Hosur too can be bought from here.
As you enter the market, the sweet smell of flowers mingles with the background chorus of chirping birds, making you take an instant liking to the place. One cannot but help feel completely at home here, with its friendly banter and atmosphere of camaraderie. Business, however, is brisk with the market winding up by around 8 am.
A short drive of 13 km from here will take you further to Avaraikulam, abundant with fields of jasmine, rose and a few varieties of marigold, in addition to scores of windmills along the way. Incessant rain last season turned out to be a spoilsport for farmers here, causing a supply shortage of jasmine that have a huge demand among buyers.
“Though Onam is your festival, it is the farmers of Thovalai who eagerly wait for the festival. Most of us used to be engaged with floriculture. But with flowers no more profitable business, a lot of lands was given for setting up windmills,” says Madhavan, a local farmer. If you feel adventurous and are willing to spend some time, take a detour from Aralvoimozhi on your way back. An 86-km drive through what appears to be a ghat road -with a rough patch of around 20 km in between- will take you through a few historically significant and breathtakingly beautiful places like Kulasekharam, Thripparappu and Thaliyal, finally entering Nedumangad in Thiruvananthapuram.
Lush meadows, green ponds, abundant paddy fields and majestic mountainous views greet you all along the route. You also cannot miss the host of brick-kilns on either side of the road. Steep inclines leading to numerous small temples on hill-tops can also be seen as you drive along. The whole journey does not fail to charm you with its bucolic settings embued with rustic beauty, evoking in us a nostalgic longing for days of yore.