Flowers are an integral part of every ritual performed during a Hindu puja and out of all the flowers, the lotus is considered to be the most auspicious and sacred. The sale and demand for lotus increases during festivities specially during Durga puja. As per customs, 108 fresh lotus flowers are offered to Goddess Durga during the five-day of the festival.

Keeping up with the demand, three flower vendors dived into the famous Kapla Beel in Barpeta district of Assam and plucked four bags of lotus flowers to sell in Guwahati city on Octobe5th, 2019. Unfortunately, the trio had to face the wrath of the public for stealing the fresh flowers. The trio – Roben Das, Naren Das and Biseswar Das – had to pay a heavy penalty to rescue themselves from the spot.

‘Guilty’ of plucking the flowers without ‘taking permission from the locals’, the trio had to pay a ‘fine’ amounting to Rs 15,000. The beel is located on the south of Baniyakuchi-Haladhibari area under Sarthebari revenue circle.

“We cannot allow any person to misuse the wetland. Few people just for the sake of monetary gains had stolen fresh lotus flowers from the beel. The locals fined them so that in future, people will think twice before indulging into such acts. Next time, we will take the help of the police,” said an enraged local.

Photo: Time8