Ancient literature in India is replete with names of various flowers.

Most of these flowers are referred to by names which are not in common use today. One frequently comes across flower names like Kund , padam , kumud , neelkamal . Surely, one would like to know what these flowers are, as we know them today. he purpose of this section is to throw some li!ht on this.
Ashok "Saraca indica# $$ Sita Ashok `Ashok' is a Sanskrit word meanin! without !rief or that which !ives no !rief. Ashoka, a herald of sprin!, has scarlet or crimson bunches of flowers in early March. It is said to flower upon bein! touched by a beautiful woman%s feet. In the Ramayana, Sita spent her sorrowful days under an Ashoka tree in &avana%s !arden after bein! abducted by him. Akund "Calotropis gigantea# $$ 2rown flower A pretty purple coloured, and sli!htly scented flower, havin! a sweet and a!reeable smell. It is called Arca in Sanscrit, and has two varieties, both of which are held to be sacred to Shiva. It forms one of the five darts with which the Indian 1od of -ove is supposed to pierce the hearts of youn! mortals. Sir /illiam 3ones refers to it in his 'ymn to +ama 4eva. It possesses medicinal properties.

Ancient flowers of India

Prijt "Nyctanthes arbor-tristis# $$ '(r$Sin!(r Accordin! to mytholo!y, )(ri*(ta is a heavenly tree brou!ht to earth by lord +rishna. A quarrel over it ensued between Satyabhama and &ukmini, +rishna%s wives. ,ut +rishna planted the tree in Satyabhama%s courtyard in a way that when the tree flowered, the flowers fell in &ukmini%s courtyard. -ord .ishnu%s heavenly throne is placed under a flowerin! )ari*ata tree, and 'anuman lives under its shade. Another romantic story woven around the tree is about princess )(ri*(ta who fell in love with the sun. /hen he deserted her she committed suicide and a tree sprun! from the ashes. 0nable to stand the si!ht of the lover who left her, the tree flowers only at ni!ht and sheds them like tear$drops before the sun rises. Kadamb "Neolamarckia cadamba# $$ +adamb +adamba trees and flowers are also a universal favourite amon! the 1ods. +rishna

Champak "Michelia champaca# $$ 2hamp(

loved to sport in +adamba forests, and the Mother his beautiful, deli!htfully scented cream$yellow 1oddess 4ur!a resides in a +adamba forest "Kadamba flower is used often in worship. he tree is !rown in vana v sin!#. temple precincts and is considered particularly sacred to +rishna. It forms one of the five flower$darts of +amadeva "2upid#. 2hampaka flowers alon! with Ashoka and $unnaaga adorn the locks of the Mother 1oddess -alitambika. &abindranath a!ore immortalised this flower in one of his poems too

Kamal "Nelumbo nuci"era# $$ -otus he "red# lotus has pride of place in Indian literature. he national floweris another universal favourite of the 1ods, and its beauty is often used in in similes for the beauty of heros5heroines6 7face as beautiful as a bloomin! lotus7 or 7eyes shaped like lotus petals7. A woman%s beauty may be compared to that of a pond full of bloomin! lotuses "Nalin!# padmin!# or her slender frame to that of a lotus stem. A famous couplet ascribed to +alidasa describes a woman%s face as a miracle of flower bloomin! within a flower6 her beautiful eyes are like dark blue lotuses bloomin! in the pink lotus of her face8

he !oddess -akshmi sits on a red -otus, and Sarasvati, on a white one. he -otus is associated with -ord ,rahma, who was created sittin! on a lotus arisin! from the navel of -ord .ishnu. he lotus has esoteric and sacred si!nificance in spirituality. he Mother 1oddess Yuthik "%asminum auriculatum&molle# $$ 3uh< "4evi# is called Kamal mba or 7-otus Mother76 she resides in a thousand$petalled lotus said to be located in the Sahasr ra Chakra in the head. &aisin! the serpent =uthika is a beautiful 3asmine vine with fra!rant, attractive white flowers. Stories of +rishna are full of reference to yuthika flowers, like this one6 power kundalini to this place leads to &eali9ation, 'And look( )he *uthika-"lo+ers in this "orest smile very proudly +hen they attract the which is the aim of the practitioners of 7Sri .idya 0pasana7. -otus symbols are central in yantra patterns, restless honeybees to themselves "rom the laps o" the best house+ives# the ,asmine"lo+ers# +ith their "ragrance --- ' and form part of many desi!ns of decoration in more secular conte:ts. he lotus blooms at day and closes at ni!ht6 so the sun is referred to as the 7;riend of the -otus7. Karnikr "$terospermum aceri"olium# $$ +anak 2hamp( his !olden$hued flower has a beautiful tassel$like form which makes it look very ornamental. It has an intense fra!rance, perceptible even from a !reat distance while it is on the tree. he fra!rance starts fadin! the moment it is plucked. he !olden pendant Kumud "Nymphaea lotus var- pubescens# $$/hite waterlily

flowers of the +arnikara adorn the ears of Sri +rishna in the .hagavatam "karnayoh karnik ram#.

he /hite waterlily is another romantic favourite. he moon is her friend "since she blooms at ni!ht# and the sun is her enemy. A woman%s face is compared to her cool white beauty. A pond full of lilies "kumudini# is also a favourite simile for beauty.

Vakul "Mimusops elengi# $$ Maulsari A very small, yellowish and fra!rant flower used for !arlands and other ornaments. he milkmaids of .rindavan are allured by +rishna playin! his flute under a ,akula tree on the banks of the =amuna. his tree is said to blossoms when sprinkled with nectar from the mouth of lovely women. Mlat "Aganosma dichotoma# $$ M(lat<

M(lat< is a vine with very fra!rant white *asmine$like flowers. his flowers is frequently confused with *asmine. Ancient 'indu mytholo!ical stories are full of references to M(lat< flowers, as in the braids of women, or in overhan!in! bowers under which lovers meet. Malati flowers routinely drop from the hair of women8

Jap kusum "/ibiscus rosa-sinensis# $$2hina &ose he !lory of the risin! sun is often compared to this resplendently beautiful flower. A famous couplet in praise of the Sun 1od be!ins `,apaa kusuma sankaasam'. he !lowin! comple:ion of the oran!e$skinned 'anuman is also compared to this flower. 3apa flowers are used in the worship of 1oddess 4ur!a. 'er !lowin! comple:ion as the Mother 1oddess -alita is compared to the hibiscus in the lalitopaakhyaana.

Mdhav Lat "/iptage benghalensis# $$ M(dhav< Vat " 0icus bengalensis# $$,anyan he banyan tree, India%s >ational ree, is a symbol of spiritual knowled!e. -ord Shiva in his form of 1akshinamurti the universal eacher sits under a 2ata vrksha and illumines the minds of sa!es seated at his feet. In the !reat 2osmic 4elu!e, $ralaya,

In stories of +rishna, Madhavi$lata is found every where in .rindavan, and creates a wonderful atmosphere with its fra!rance and the three$colored flowers6 7 his forest has Atimukta$trees, therefore the chariot makers resort to it "chariots are made of the wood#, the makers of Madhavi$!arlands like it "Atimukta means Madhavi flower# and those who desire liberation come here "to .rindavana? "Atimukta means completely liberated#.

nothin! survives of the entire creation e:cept for the -ord in the form of an infant +rishna floatin! on a banyan leaf "vata-patra shaayi#, suckin! his toe, a familiar theme for an*ore paintin!s.

Ketak "$andanus odoratissimus # $$ +ewd( A fra!rant flower used in makin! perfume and aromatic oil, +etaki is not used in worship6 it is supposedly cursed by -ord Shiva for bearin! false witness of -ord ,rahma. Accordin! to a $uranic le!end, .ishnu and ,rahma were ar!uin! hotly as to which of them was supreme. -ord Shiva interceded, appearin! amidst them in the form of a hu!e pillar of li!ht. he contestants decided that the question would be settled by the one who first found the limit of this awesome cosmic pillar. .ishnu set off towards its base but was unable to find it and admitted defeat. /hereas ,rahma on his *ourney upwards came across ketaki flower floatin! down slowly. Inquirin! from the flower from where she had come from, ketaki replied that she had been placed at the top of the pillar of li!ht. 0nable to find the uppermost limits ,rahma decided to take the flower back to .ishnu to bear witness that he had reached the top of the pillar. his !aml "3arcinia 4anthochymus# $$'imalayan 1arcinia infuriated Shiva. ,rahma was punished for lyin! and the creator was banned from bein! worshipped. Similarly, ketaki was also cursed that she would never a!ain be used in worship of Shiva. hus, ketaki is debarred forever from bein! offered in worship.

eel Kamal "Nymphaea nouchali&stellata# $$ ,lue /aterlily

he dark comple:ion of +rishna is compared to that of >eelkamal. ;or this reason, the ,lue /aterlily is also called +rishna +amal. In the %&amayana%, as it !oes, &ama went to %-anka% to rescue his abducted wife, Sita, from the !rip of &avana, the kin! of the 4emons in -anka. ,efore startin! for his battle with &avana, &ama wanted the blessin!s of 4evi 4ur!a . 'e came to know that the 1oddess would be pleased only if she is worshipped with one hundred %>eel+amal% or blue lotuses. &ama, after travellin! the whole world, could !ather only ninety nine of them. 'e finally decided to offer one of his eyes, which resembled blue lotuses. 4ur!a, bein! pleased with the devotion of &ama, appeared before him and blessed him.

he dark !reen beauty of this tree and its leaves, and its lon! limbs make it a favourite simile for the -ord &ama. he baby +rishna is compared to a newly unfurled amala leaf. he freshly bloomin! tamaala tree attracts hordes of bees, and Shankaracharya compares this to the dark body of -ord .ishnu attractin! the bee$like dark eyes of his spouse -akshmi in the kanakadhaara stotra.
)hoto6 Missouri ,otanical 1arden

Punn" "Calophyllum inophyllum# $$ Sultan 2hampa

his flower is sacred to -ord .ishnu, formin! his !arland. A fra!rant flower, it adorns the hair of 1oddess -alitambika in the 5alitaa Sahasram. he punna!a flower is used in worship of -ord .ishnu. here are many references to the )unna!a flower in the lyrics of +arnatic Music, as a flower for worship and as adornment of various 1ods. A raaga by the name punnaagavaraali could be named after this tree8

Kovidr ".auhinia purpurea# $$ )urple orchid tree

Kund "%asminum multi"lorum&pubescens# $$ Star *asmine In Indian mytholo!y, +und is known for its whiteness. So, instead of the common western phrase %white as snow%, what often appears in 'indu

+ovidara occurs frequenctly in the Ramayana. ,harata%s chariot is reco!ni9ed by a fla! with a kovidara ensi!n. It is also called raktapushpa, literally meanin! blood$ flower. It is a close cousin of the more popular kachnar ".auhinia variegata#, and is e:tensively mytholo!ical stories is %white as kunda%. Also, beautiful planted as an ornamental tree today. white teeth are often compared to +unda buds. It is held to be especially sacred to .ishnu. In Manipur, Kundo flowers are used in worship, and are an essential part of a marria!e ceremony. he bride !arlands the !room with two Kundo flower !arlands. he !room then takes one of the two and !arlands the bride.

Ptal "Stereospermum chelonoides# $$ )aral his beautiful red flower is another favourite of the 1ods and decorates the hair of 1oddesses and maidens. he ancient city of )atna was called $aa)aliputra probably after this tree8 he city was variously refered to as $aa)alipura# Kusumapura# $ushpapura or Kusumadhva,a and certainly has reference to this flower.

#unj "Abrus precatorius# $$ 1un* 1un*a seeds are a favourite for native *ewellery. the bri!ht red$and$black bead$like seeds are attractive to children ri!ht from the days of mytholo!y. hese beads have special si!nificance to the 1audiya sect6 followers of 2haitanya Mahaprabhu in +rishna worship. he child +rishna is inseperable from his favourite gun,aa maala, and it was said to represent &adha. ;ollowers of 2haitanya worship +rishna in a small

stone representin! Mount 1ovardhan, with a !un*a mala around it representin! &adharani. 2hildren in the South still play variants of lotto with it. 1un*a seeds are bitter to taste and poisonous, but possess medicinal properties.1un*a seed e:tract is used to kill lice as an in!redient of hair oil.

Atasi "5inum usitatissimum# $$ ;la:

his pretty blue flower is popular in Sanskrit literature for comparin! with the comple:ion of +rishna. A famous sloka in +rishna%s praise !oes 7atasii pushpa sankaasam haara noopura shobhitam7. his flower, alon! with the blue butterfly$pea flower, Aparaa*ita, is also popular in worship of 1oddess 4ur!a "who is also sometimes considered an 7amsha7 "# of +rishna#. $andhook "$entapetes phoenicea# $$ Midday ;lower ,andhook is a beautiful oran!e$red flower which blooms at noon. In Sanskrit literature, it is often used to symboli9e !lowin! red color. ;or e:ample, the followin! lines are from Surya Ashtakam "Octet to Sun 1od#6 @ @@ "My salutations to the Sun 1od, /ho is as red as the bandhook flower, /ho wears ornaments of !arlands and ear rin!s, And who is the !od with one !reat /heel.# Another e:ample is from the various forms of -ord 1anesha, which denote different aspects of life. Kshipra 3anesh " # is described as !lowin! brilliantly like bandhook flower and holdin! a pot of *ewels and other usual articles.

White Fig

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Photo: Tabish

Common name: 5hite Fig 6 7indi: 88888 9il/han& 8888 9a/had 6 !ani+uri: .hing 7eibong 6 !arathi: :assari& ;andhau)bara 6 Ta)il: <urugatti 6 !ala3ala): 888888 .herala 6 Telugu: :adi=u44i& >atti 6 <annada: <ari-basari& =u44i 6 ;u=arati: 9e+ri 6 0ans/rit: 9la/sa Botanical name: Ficus virens Family: Moraceae ?!ulberr3 fa)il3@ Synonyms: Fi'us infe'toria 5hite Fig is a large strangling fig with a s+reading 'ano+3( The aerial roots 'o))onl3 wra+ around the )ain ste) instead of for)ing +ro+s( The lea4es are fro) 8-19 ') long and 3-6 ') wide& with a whitish )idrib( 0ti+ules are less than 1 ') long( The +ea-sized figs are in +airs and greenish-white to brown with s+ots( At is a beautiful shade tree( Bea4es begin to dro+ )id Februar3( 1ew leafs e)erge in !ar'h with 'olors of +ur+le and red and bronze& gi4ing the tree a wonderful loo/( The 'olor 9hotogra+hed in Bodhi ;arden& ,elhi( transfor)ation goes on till +ril(