Cupid?s band of faithful is saying it with Bangalore blooms this year. A Telegraph picture

Everything?s coming up roses, they say on Broadway. And since it is Valentine?s Day on Monday, a lakh-plus roses have arrived in the city from Bangalore between Saturday and Sunday. And the market craves more.

The home-grown variety is still very much in demand this year among the city?s young swains, but the bloom from Bangalore, known among florists as the Manipal Rose, seems to have stolen a march over the Bengal variety.

This year, over 2.5 lakh pieces of Manipal Rose have already disappeared from the Mullickghat flower market in Howrah ? a craze never witnessed before.

But why is the Bangalore variety, about three times more expensive than the Bengal bloom, more in demand among Cupid?s followers? ?The Bangalore variety offers a wider choice of colours. Besides, the stem is longer and the rose bud lasts longer. If its Valentine?s Day, people don?t mind paying more for the good stuff,? explains Nitin Gharwra, of Plants and Flowers Boutique, on Shakespeare Sarani.

Some want it delivered by hand. Others prefer to pick them up from the boutique itself. ?The demand is mind-blowing,? he adds.

Besides, Bangalore roses have a longer shelf life, since they are grown in greenhouses and are available round the year.

Of course, all this comes for a price. ?A single piece of the Bangalore variety costs Rs 15, while the Bengal bloom comes for anything between Rs 5 and Rs 7,? says Babu Dey, of Upahaar, in Narkeldanga. Bengal or Bangalore. Say it with roses this year.