Whether feng shui plant lucky bamboo ushers in good fortune is debatable, but for the Indian bamboo importers and its growers in China, it sure has brought good charm.
In the last few years, feng shui has become a fashion statement and scores of stores stocking up wind chimes, bells and bamboo plants have come up. The bamboo shoots, popularly known as lucky bamboo, (the botanical name is Dracaena anderana), grow in water and are imported from the Zhejiang district in China and also from Taiwan.
"Lucky bamboo shoots are becoming very popular, not just in big metros but across small towns also. According to Chinese legends, living bamboo brings good fortune and they are symbolic of happiness and prosperity. As Chinese feng shui becomes popular here, so do these plants," says Prayas Sanganeria, a Mumbai-based importer of these plants.
Its popularity can be gauged by the fact that Sanganeria alone imports four containers of bamboo shoots every month from Zhejiang district in China. Each container has 20,000 shoots, he says, adding, that only a handful of importers, who have been given the licence by the government and each one of them is allowed up to four containers a month.
Every time a container is opened, a sample is sent to a government lab in Pune, for phyto-sanitary licence. Only when cleared by the lab are the other shoots taken out and sent to different cities in the country, says Sanganeria.
The import rules for lucky bamboo to any country are very strict. A mosquito that carries tropical disease was found in shipments of "lucky bamboo" from Asia that arrived in California in the spring of 2000.
Various bamboo varieties grow extensively in Zhejiang district in China and are directly imported from there. Every household in the area is involved in bamboo work: exporting lucky bamboo, bamboo flooring and Chinese bonsai, the money tree, says Sanganeria, who has been there on business.
A number of website and online directories too have come up from this part of China, offering many bamboo products and their shipment after online payments.
Lucky bamboo, the most visible face of bamboo today, has come to occupy place of pride in homes, says Sanganeria, noting it is also a popular gift item. "It is supposed to bring good charm to the person it is gifted."
However, it is an expensive charm. A single stick of dancing or curly bamboo can cost between Rs 250 and Rs 350, depending on the length. The price of the pyramid bamboo depends on the number of layers of bamboo.
The normal two-layer bamboo comes for Rs 250, and the three-layer for Rs 350. With the rising popularity of bamboos, florists have devised innovative designs to attract buyers, says Rajinder Singh, a dealer in south Delhi.
"People these days are specific about the number of shoots they want to have, because according to feng shui, different combinations are used for different purposes - five bamboo stalks are for attracting wealth, while seven for good health, three bring happiness. We have got a brochure printed especially for the buyers," says Arbaaz, a dealer.
However, Shilpa, a housewife says she uses it more for its beauty, than for its charm value. "It is a very beautiful indoor plant and maintenance free. You just have to keep on changing the water."
