From being stitched into garlands, to adorning women’s hair, the jasmine flower is everyone’s favourite pick.
The word malli, or jasmine in Tamil, is inseparable from Madurai. The most sought-after variety of the plant is cultivated in vast areas around the city.
However, the lesser-known fact is that a village called Thangachimadam produces the jasmine sapling that gets planted in the malli-growing belt of the Madurai region.
Thangachimadam is a coastal village located around 160 kilometres from Madurai, on the Pamban island in Rameswaram.
There are at least 100 acres of jasmine nurseries in the village.
Jasmine growers in states such as Karnataka and Maharashtra come to this village to buy saplings because of their quality.
Reporting: Pon Vasanth B. A.
Videos: Balachandar L.
Production and Voiceover: Yuvasree S
