by Neeraja Ganesh

    NEW DELHI, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Indians, mostly in urban areas, do not celebrate Mother's Day, primarily a Western concept, until recent years, while those in rural areas know almost nothing about it.

    "Thanks to globalization, the concept has picked up in India, and is a good endeavor to dedicate a day to the mother," says Rupinder Kaur, resident of Delhi satellite town Gurgaon on Sunday, when the annual Mother's Day falls.

    Rupinder's daughter, Tarang, gave her a hand-made card decorated with little stars and glitter.

    In a concept popularized fast by Indian media, Indian radio stations ran audiences’ interaction programs quizzing them on why they love their mothers. Some newspapers also carried feature articles on celebrity and single mothers on Sunday.

    Also popularizing the concept are shops selling cards. Even flower shops do good business.

    While eight-year-old Sohail bought her mother Renu a card from Archies gift shop, younger girls like college student Tanvi ordered a bouquet of red carnations, her mother's favorite flowers.

    Electronic edition of business daily Economic Times Sunday quoted Right Florist Chief Executive Officer R.K. Rathi as saying that Mother's Day ranks among their top five days in terms of business.

    "The number of orders we get on Mother's Day is around 25 times more than an average day," he told the paper. Flowers are also accompanied by chocolates, stuffed toys and other knick knacks.

    The ritual of paying tribute to mothers, however, is not new to India.

    India has been celebrating festivals like Durga pooja and Kali pooja, dedicated to Indian mythological goddesses considered mothers of all mankind, Maa (mother) Durga and Maa Kali.

    "The mother is considered poojaniya (prayer-worthy) in India for ages," says 75-year-old Ujala Srivastava.

    Indian mothers are also considered an edifice of sacrifice as many a time, they give up their jobs and careers to bring up their children.

    A survey conducted by leading Indian daily Times of India revealed that 73 percent of Indian women in metro cities and 93 percent in other big Indian cities believe that motherhood is extremely important.

    A majority of Indian women also believe that motherhood completes a woman and staying in marriage is crucial for one to be a good mother.

    Yet, there are many, at the same time, who adore Bollywood actress like Sushmita Sen, who adopted a daughter, and is herself a single mother.

    "Mothers' love and hardwork can make or break a child. While fathers play a vital role, there is no replacement to a mother," said Ujala.

    She said her grandchildren take her two daughters out for dinner on the Mother's Day each year, to save their mothers the trouble of cooking on the day.

    Even as few women, mostly in metros, believe motherhood or having children was not essential, by and large India remains a society where mother is considered the only binding factor in the family.

    "Mother alone can teach the child what a family is, through display of love and strength at even tougher times in life," says Ujala.

    It is vital she is told how much she is loved and adored, she added.