A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF INDIAN FLOWERS, COMMONLY USED IN HINDU
CEREMONIES.[098]
A'KUNDA (Calotropis Gigantea).--A pretty purple coloured, and slightly
scented flower, having a sweet and agreeable 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 God of
Love is supposed to pierce the hearts of young mortals.[099] Sir William
Jones refers to it in his Hymn to Kama Deva. It possesses medicinal
properties.[100]
A'PARA'JITA (Clitoria ternatea).--A conically shaped flower, the upper
part of which is tinged with blue and the lower part is white. Some are
wholly white. It is held to be sacred to Durgá.
ASOCA. (Jonesia Asoca).--A small yellow flower, which blooms in large
clusters in the month of April and gives a most beautiful appearance to
the tree. It is eaten by young females as a medicine. It smells like the
Saffron.
A'TASHI.--A small yellowish or brown coloured flower without any smell.
It is supposed to be sacred to Shiva, and is very often alluded to by
the Indian poets. It resembles the flower of the flax or Linum
usitatissimum.[101]
BAKA.--A kidney shaped flower, having several varieties, all of which
are held to be sacred to Vishnu, and are in consequence used in his
worship. It is supposed to possess medicinal virtues and is used by the
native doctors.
BAKU'LA (Mimusops Etengi).--A very small, yellowish, and fragrant
flower. It is used in making garlands and other female ornaments.
Krishna is said to have fascinated the milkmaids of Brindabun by playing
on his celebrated flute under a Baku'la tree on the banks of the
Jumna, which is, therefore, invariably alluded to in all the Sanscrit
and vernacular poems relating to his amours with those young women.
BA'KASHA (Justicia Adhatoda).--A white flower, having a slight smell.
It is used in certain native medicines.
BELA (Jasminum Zambac).--A fragrant small white flower, in common use
among native females, who make garlands of it to wear in their braids of
hair. A kind of uttar is extracted from this flower, which is much
esteemed by natives. It is supposed to form one of the darts of Kama
Deva or the God of Love. European Botanists seem to have confounded this
flower with the Monika, which they also call the Jasminum Zambac.
BHU'MI CHAMPAKA.--An oblong variegated flower, which shoots out from the
ground at the approach of spring. It has a slight smell, and is
considered to possess medicinal properties. The great peculiarity of
this flower is that it blooms when there is not apparently the slightest
trace of the existence of the shrub above ground. When the flower dies
away, the leaves make their appearance.
CHAMPA' (Michelia Champaka).--A tulip shaped yellow flower possessing
a very strong smell.[102] It forms one of the darts of Kama Deva, the
Indian Cupid. It is particularly sacred to Krishna.
CHUNDRA MALLIKA' (Chrysanthemum Indiana).--A pretty round yellow
flower which blooms in winter. The plant is used in making hedges in
gardens and presents a beautiful appearance in the cold weather when the
blossoms appear.
DHASTU'RA (Datura Fastuosa).--A large tulip shaped white flower,
sacred to Mahadeva, the third Godhead of the Hindu Trinity. The seeds of
this flower have narcotic properties.[103]
DRONA.--A white flower with a very slight smell.
DOPATI (Impatiens Balsamina).--A small flower having a slight smell.
There are several varieties of this flower. Some are red and some white,
while others are both white and red.
GA'NDA' (Tagetes erecta).--A handsome yellow flower, which sometimes
grows very large. It is commonly used in making garlands, with which the
natives decorate their idols, and the Europeans in India their churches
and gates on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
GANDHA RA'J (Gardenia Florida).--A strongly scented white flower,
which blooms at night.
GOLANCHA (Menispermum Glabrum).--A white flower. The plant is already
well known to Europeans as a febrifuge.
JAVA' (Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis).--A large blood coloured flower held to
be especially sacred to Kali. There are two species of it, viz. the
ordinary Javá commonly seen in our gardens and parterres, and the
Pancha Mukhi, which, as its name imports, has five compartments and is
the largest of the two.[104]
JAYANTI (Aeschynomene Sesban).--A small yellowish flower, held to be
sacred to Shiva.
JHA'NTI.--A small white flower possessing medicinal properties. The
leaves of the plants are used in curing certain ulcers.
JA'NTI (Jasminum Grandiflorum).--Also a small white flower having a
sweet smell. The uttar called Chumeli is extracted from it.
JUYIN (Jasminum Auriculatum).--The Indian Jasmine. It is a very small
white flower remarkable for its sweetness. It is also used in making a
species of uttar which is highly prized by the natives, as also in
forming a great variety of imitation female ornaments.
KADAMBA (Nauclea Cadamba).--A ball shaped yellow flower held to be
particularly sacred to Krishna, many of whose gambols with the milkmaids
of Brindabun are said to have been performed under the Kadamba tree,
which is in consequence very frequently alluded to in the vernacular
poems relating to his loves with those celebrated beauties.
KINSUKA (Butea Frondosa).--A handsome but scentless white flower.
KANAKA CHAMPA (Pterospermum Acerifolium).--A yellowish flower which
hangs down in form of a tassel. It has a strong smell, which is
perceived at a great distance when it is on the tree, but the moment it
is plucked off, it begins to lose its fragrance.
KANCHANA (Bauhinia Variegata).--There are several varieties of this
flower. Some are white, some are purple, while others are red. It gives
a handsome appearance to the tree when the latter is in full blossom.
KUNDA (Jasminum pulescens).--A very pretty white flower. Indian poets
frequently compare a set of handsome teeth, to this flower. It is held
to be especially sacred to Vishnu.
KARABIRA (Nerium Odosum).--There are two species of this flower, viz.
the white and red, both of which are sacred to Shiva.
KAMINI (Murraya Exotica).--A pretty small white flower having a strong
smell. It blooms at night and is very delicate to the touch. The
kamini tree is frequently used as a garden hedge.
KRISHNA CHURA (Poinciana Pulcherrima).--A pretty small flower, which,
as its name imports resembles the head ornament of Krishna. When the
Krishna Chura tree is in full blossom, it has a very handsome
appearance.
KRISHNA KELI (Mirabilis Jalapa.)[105]--A small tulip shaped yellow
flower. The bulb of the plant has medicinal properties and is used by
the natives as a poultice.
KUMADA (Nymphaea Esculenta)--A white flower, resembling the lotus, but
blooming at night, whence the Indian poets suppose that it is in love
with Chandra or the Moon, as the lotus is imagined by them to be in love
with the Sun.
LAVANGA LATA' (Limonia Scandens.)--A very small red flower growing
upon a creeper, which has been celebrated by Jaya Deva in his famous
work called the Gita Govinda. This creeper is used in native gardens
for bowers.
MALLIKA' (Jasminum Zambac.)--A white flower resembling the Bela. It
has a very sweet smell and is used by native females to make ornaments.
It is frequently alluded to by Indian poets.
MUCHAKUNDA (Pterospermum Suberifolia).--A strongly scented flower,
which grows in clusters and is of a brown colour.
MA'LATI (Echites Caryophyllata.)--The flower of a creeper which is
commonly used in native gardens. It has a slight smell and is of a white
colour.
MA'DHAVI (Gaertnera Racemosa.)--The flower of another creeper which is
also to be seen in native gardens. It is likewise of a white colour.
NA'GESWARA (Mesua Ferrua.)--A white flower with yellow filaments,
which are said to possess medicinal properties and are used by the
native physicians. It has a very sweet smell and is supposed by Indian
poets to form one of the darts of Kama Deva. See Sir William Jones's
Hymn to that deity.
PADMA (Nelumbium Speciosum.)--The Indian lotus, which is held to be
sacred to Vishnu, Brama, Mahadava, Durga, Lakshami and Saraswati as well
as all the higher orders of Indian deities. It is a very elegant flower
and is highly esteemed by the natives, in consequence of which the
Indian poets frequently allude to it in their writings.
PA'RIJATA (Buchanania Latifolia.)--A handsome white flower, with a
slight smell. In native poetry, it furnishes a simile for pretty eyes,
and is held to be sacred to Vishnu.
PAREGATA (Erythrina Fulgens.)--A flower which is supposed to bloom in
the garden of Indra in heaven, and forms the subject of an interesting
episode in the Puranas, in which the two wives of Krisna, (Rukmini and
Satyabhama) are said to have quarrelled for the exclusive possession of
this flower, which their husband had stolen from the celestial garden
referred to. It is supposed to be identical with the flower of the
Palta madar.
RAJANI GANDHA (Polianthus Tuberosa.)--A white tulip-shaped flower
which blooms at night, from which circumstance it is called "the Rajani
Gandha, (or night-fragrance giver)." It is the Indian tuberose.
RANGANA.--A small and very pretty red flower which is used by native
females in ornamenting their betels.
SEONTI. Rosa Glandulefera. A white flower resembling the rose in size
and appearance. It has a sweet smell.
SEPHA'LIKA (Nyctanthes Arbor-tristis.)--A very pretty and delicate
flower which blooms at night, and drops down shortly after. It has a
sweet smell and is held to be sacred to Shiva. The juice of the leaves
of the Sephalika tree are used in curing both remittant and intermittent
fevers.
SURYJA MUKHI (Helianthus Annuus).--A large and very handsome yellow
flower, which is said to turn itself to the Sun, as he goes from East to
West, whence it has derived its name.
SURYJA MANI (Hibiscus Phoeniceus).--A small red flower.
GOLAKA CHAMPA.--A large beautiful white tulip-shaped flower having a
sweet smell. It is externally white but internally orange-colored.
TAGUR (Tabernoemontana Coronaria).--A white flower having a slight
smell.
TARU LATA.--A beautiful creeper with small red flowers. It is used in
native gardens for making hedges.
K.G.
Pliny in his Natural History alludes to the marks of time exhibited in
the regular opening and closing of flowers. Linnaeus enumerates forty-
six flowers that might be used for the construction of a floral time-
piece. This great Swedish botanist invented a Floral horologe, "whose
wheels were the sun and earth and whose index-figures were flowers."
Perhaps his invention, however, was not wholly original. Andrew Marvell
in his "Thoughts in a Garden" mentions a sort of floral dial:--
How well the skilful gardener drew
Of flowers and herbs this dial new!
Where, from above, the milder sun
Does through a fragrant zodiac run:
And, as it works, th'industrious bee
Computes its time as well as we:
How could such sweet and wholesome hours
Be reckoned, but with herbs and flowers?
Milton's notation of time--"at shut of evening flowers," has a
beautiful simplicity, and though Shakespeare does not seem to have
marked his time on a floral clock, yet, like all true poets, he has made
very free use of other appearances of nature to indicate the
commencement and the close of day.
The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch--
Than we will ship him hence.
Hamlet.
Fare thee well at once!
The glow-worm shows the matin to be near
And gins to pale his uneffectual fire.
Hamlet.
But look! The morn, in russet mantle clad,
Walks o'er the dew of yon high eastern hill:--
Break we our watch up.
Hamlet.
Light thickens, and the crow
Makes wing to the rooky wood.
Macbeth.
Such picturesque notations of time as these, are in the works of
Shakespeare, as thick as autumnal leaves that strew the brooks in
Valombrosa. In one of his Sonnets he thus counts the years of human life
by the succession of the seasons.
To me, fair friend, you never can be old,
For as you were when first your eye I eyed,
Such seems your beauty still. Three winters cold
Have from the forests shook three summers' pride;
Three beauteous springs to yellow autumn turned
In process of the seasons have I seen;
Three April's perfumes in three hot Junes burned
Since first I saw you fresh which yet are green.
Grainger, a prosaic verse-writer who once commenced a paragraph of a
poem with "Now, Muse, let's sing of rats!" called upon the slave drivers
in the West Indies to time their imposition of cruel tasks by the
opening and closing of flowers.
Till morning dawn and Lucifer withdraw
His beamy chariot, let not the loud bell
Call forth thy negroes from their rushy couch:
And ere the sun with mid-day fervor glow,
When every broom-bush opes her yellow flower,
Let thy black laborers from their toil desist:
Nor till the broom her every petal lock,
Let the loud bell recal them to the hoe,
But when the jalap her bright tint displays,
When the solanum fills her cup with dew,
And crickets, snakes and lizards gin their coil,
Let them find shelter in their cane-thatched huts.
I shall here give (from Loudon's Encyclopaedia of Gardening) the form
of a flower dial. It may be interesting to many of my readers:--
'Twas a lovely thought to mark the hours
As they floated in light away
By the opening and the folding flowers
That laugh to the summer day.[108]
Mr. Hemans.