The Better India · 30 days ago

How Shefalii's Sunflowers Are Turning Chennai Into a Sunflower City

Amidst the bustling clamor of Chennai, Shefalii Dadabhoy, a once-banker-turned-baker, envisions a city transformed by a sea of sunflowers-an endeavor she calls 'Sunflower City.' With every seed she gives away, Shefalii hopes to replace the words "traffic" and "humidity" in Chennai's identity with "flowers," spreading an "infectious joy" across the urban sprawl. Her movement, initiated from a simple rooftop garden in 2024, has unfurled into a community-led effort involving schools, businesses, and individuals, all united under the sun-kissed banner of her dream. Yet, beneath the cheerful blooms lies a deeper truth: sunflowers, with their ability to attract pollinators and cleanse the soil of toxins, symbolize not just beauty but biodiversity and healing-a testament that nature's art is as restorative as it is radiant. With a philosophy grounded in giving, Shefalii's mission echoes the idea that a single sunflower's joy belongs to everyone, uniting the city in a colorful tapestry of hope and regeneration.

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