It also goes without saying that the day left a deep hole in the pockets of buyers as the price of a single rose was as high as Rs 100 at some places.

"Valentine Day (February 14) is a Golden Day for florists," Brij Mohan Khanagwal, President of the All-India Cut Flower and Grower Association, said.

Flowers worth over Rs 10 crore were sold in a single day today in Delhi and nearby cities of Lucknow, Jaipur, Jammu, Patiala and Jammu, he said.

Sher Singh Saini, a wholesale seller at Ghazipur, the biggest wholesale market of flowers in the national capital, said sales were nearly two times higher today as compared to a normal day.

Sales are almost 10 per cent more than what it was on this day last year, he added. In fact, this year sales have been picking for the for the past one week, he further said.

Ferns 'n' Petals, which has 113 outlets across the country, said sales are almost 10 times more in its outlets today as compared to a normal day.

The maximum sales were in Delhi where it has 34 outlets, Tarana, an official of Ferns 'n' Petals, said. Rose, especially red rose, and carnation registered high sales. Khanagwal said Delhi receives roses mainly from Bangalore and Pune, while carnation is brought from Himachal Pradesh and Dehradun in addition to Bangalore and Pune.

Orchids sourced from Thailand and Bangkok are also in great demand, Saini said.

Traders said a single rose is sold for Rs 10 a piece in wholesale while carnation is costing in between Rs 10-15 a piece.

The retail prices of them ranged from Rs 50 to Rs 100 a piece, they said.

Delhi is Asia's largest flower market. India's flower production stands at around 1,000 tonnes per annum and most of the flower trade occur in the Delhi region.