At 10,600 feet above sea level, on stony ground where even grass struggles to grow, Stanzin of Choglamsar in Ladakh and 14 companions have created a lily garden, a photo story in Ei Samay reports.
Working in sub-zero temperatures, they moved stones to make soil and planted bulbs, and red, yellow, pink and white lilies bloomed. The women, who started on a daily wage of Rs 900, quickly learned when to cut the flowers and how to pack them.
The results came fast: 15,000 lilies flew from Leh airport to Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh, and according to the report the cut flowers stay fresh for a week. A local botanist took the flowers straight to large traders, so no middlemen were involved and the full payment went to the women.
The local administration began with a simple aim: in winter, when work stops in the snow, women should be able to earn close to home. The effort is easing household hardship, and tourists have started coming to see the garden.
After this success, a plan has been drawn up to spread commercial lily cultivation in Ladakh to 200 acres over the next year.
This report is based on Ei Samay's photo story; the cover is an illustrative picture of lilies.
Photo: Orchi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Ei Samay
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