Hand Span

Hand span and cubit are simple body-based units of measurement used to determine the length of objects such as bunches of flowers. They allow people to measure and trade items by counting with their hands rather than counting every individual flower.

Why hand measurement was needed

In the flower gardens, plants produced flowers in great abundance once the spring season arrived. The sheer number of blossoms made counting each flower one by one impossible and confusing for the workers. To solve this problem, the workers held a discussion and agreed to tie the flowers together into bunches using thread. Once the flowers were tied into bunches, they could use parts of their hands to measure the length of each bunch for selling.

Measuring with a hand span

• A hand span is a measurement used to find the length of smaller bunches of tied flowers.
• The measurement is taken using just the fingers, specifically the index finger and the thumb.
• The person measures along the flower bunch, counting one, two, and so on.
• This allows the workers to measure small bunches quickly and accurately without counting every blossom.

Measuring with a cubit

A cubit (muzham) is a measurement used for larger bunches of flowers. When a bunch is too large for finger measurements, people use the whole palm to measure along the flowers. The length is counted one step at a time, marking one, two, and so on until reaching the end. This system allows workers to measure big bunches properly before sending them to other towns.

The gardens of Vasantapuri

• Heavy and continuous rain forced the residents of the forest village of Marauru to leave their joyful home.
• They traveled to Vasantapuri, a nearby village surrounded by colorful flowers, and settled down together.
• The combined community worked side by side in the gardens, growing, plucking, and selling flowers.
• By introducing the hand span and cubit measurements, the villagers eliminated confusion and traded their flowers peacefully.