21/06/2026
In the 90s, there used to be a park near Master Canteen, the Nehru Park. The uniqueness of this park was the variety of roses you could see blooming there, varieties you wouldn’t find anywhere else in Odisha, collected from different parts of India.
My dad, who was obsessed with roses, couldn’t afford to buy those plants. So, in an era with no internet, he befriended a gardener to learn grafting. He would collect discarded twigs from the rose plants, bring them home, and experiment. At his peak, I saw three different roses blooming on a single plant. Neighbours would even steal those plants at night.
Fast forward to 2026. Life has not been fair to him. He lost his life partner, and age has taken its toll. But his love for roses has never faded. .kumar1 .rocking
