THE FLOWER MARKET OF BANGKOK (PART 2)

MARIGOLD: YOU CALL THEM, IF YOU LIKE, ORANGE EPIPHANIES

#attimidiordinariafotografia

A store on the way to the market - Pak Khlong Talat, Bangkok, Thailand.

Two men sort bags of Marigold - Pak Khlong Talat, Bangkok, Thailand.

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If hearing and smell are stimulated by background noise and scent, at Pak Khlong Talat in Bangkok it is sight that is the sense that is most challenged by various factors. In addition to the dynamism described in the previous post, colour is the element that visually dominates the spaces thanks to the combination of various objects - clothes, fans, lights, scales, calendars, etc. - with the presence of flowers everywhere.

One colour stands out above all others, however, both in terms of quantity and intensity: orange. It is the colour of the Marigold, in Thai Dao Rueng, as bright as a star, a flower widely used in this and other Asian countries. Actually originating in the Americas, it is interesting to note how throughout history it has been associated with the divine and the sphere of spirituality in different and distant cultures.

Starting with its use from pre-Columbian times to the present day in Mexico, its homeland, to honour deceased loved ones on Día de Muertos, passing through the association in Christianity with the Virgin Mary (hence Mary's gold), and concluding with the gift of ubiquity that it seems to possess in Hinduism. This flower, which has also always been appreciated in the medical field for its properties, is often linked to the sun, or more generally to light.

Here in Thailand it has an auspicious, lucky, successful and happy meaning, so much that it can be given as a gift to congratulate someone and wish them well. However, its greatest use involves the spiritual sphere and Buddhism, where, in the form of garlands or individual buds, it is one of the most popular offerings to pay homage to and decorate depictions of the Buddha.

Some market stalls only and exclusively take care of this type of flower: some sort them into large bags for delivery to other vendors, some sell them directly, while others assemble and sell the garlands that in a few hours will be laid on the numerous altars in the city. Sometimes, distracted by other elements, one suddenly turns around and without being prepared finds oneself in front of a wall of orange from which it is impossible to escape by remaining indifferent.

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A man standing at a vendor's flower stall - Pak Khlong Talat, Bangkok, Thailand.

A woman prepares Marigold garlands - Pak Khlong Talat, Bangkok, Thailand.