Well, the title says it all,
but still, let’s breaks it down....
A copious amount of leisure
time and a little pondering inquisitive mind led to this blog post of mine. So
to state it in simple terms,”It ain’t anything important! Just a simple lateral
thinking about flowers in the ‘What If?’ sense.”
It all began while I was
whiling away my time rustling through my granddad’s small but elegant garden.
The colourful flowers all around, the evening breeze, the dusky mood, all set
in slowly and forced my mind to come across this stupidly funny thought – "Why do flowers
relate to the glorious descendants of the Venus but not the simple souls from
the Mars?"
Why?
Flowers are always identified
with the feminine side of this world.... Not many know why and I have to admit
I am one of those ignorant homo-sapiens (Except for the beautiful fact that
both are really beautiful, in every aspect).
I’ll just let that question
hang in there and move on. It’s an enigma to which the real solution might
never surface. So here are my unusual and amusing findings about four of the
regular garden blooms which relate to men rather than
women.... Have fun reading!
Oops... But before you move
ahead please go through these vital statements given below ;-)
Statutory Disclaimers:
- What follows are just some facts and myths surrounding the flowers and nothing else.
- I am no photographer! So the photos which follow are just my own way of freezing the moment and may not be 'Classy'.(And photographing flowers...was totally different Ball game :-) )
- I don't own a DSLR! Of course, even if I had one, I won't promise I'd be good at it. So, yes, all the photos in the blog were snapped by my Lumia 720 via its humble 6.7 megapixels (not too high end & nothing fancy!!!) camera.
- And lastly, to me, a photo is as good as the memory it transcends.... And so it shall be.
The
Royal jasmine:
Scientific
name: Jasminum Grandiforum
Tamil:
Kaattu Malli/ Jaathi Malli
OK, we
all know the Jasmine, right?
But did
you know?
- According to Hindu Mythology, the
jasmine was brought to planet earth by Lord Krishna himself.
- In some parts of China, men drink
Jasmine flavoured tea which supposedly has many health benefits.
- It is also referred to as the ‘King of Flowers’!
The
Firecracker flower:
Scientific
name: Crossandra infundibuliformis
Tamil:
Kanagambaram
I
believe almost all South Indians would have seen this flower at least once.
But did
you know?
- These flowers blossom all around the
year and are thus sometimes compared to the stamina of a man.
- The Goan deity Vodhlodev/ Kokodev (one
of the residing deities of the temple of Kanakeshwari, Bicholim, Goa) is
the only god who is decorated with this flower every year during the festivals.
He is considered to be the representative of 33 crores of gods and goddesses
according to the myth.
The
China rose:
Scientific
name: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Tamil:
Chembaruthi
A
flower which is widely known for its medicinal qualities.
But are
you aware?
- This is the flower which is often
compared to the glory of the rising sun in many cultures around the world (Yeah,
the Sun flower lost the title here!)
- In Hindu mythology there are
references of the Hibiscus’ petal colour being compared to the colour of the God Hanuman’s
skin!
- In China, it is the symbol for youth!
The
Rose:
Scientific
name: Rosa x-damascena
Tamil:
Roja
Here
arrives the Queen of all beautiful flowers. The universal symbol of love.
But I
bet you are not aware that...
- In the ancient Indian and Persian
cultures the rose always played a symbolic role in the creation of the world
and of mankind.
- According to one Muslim legend/ myth,
the rose sprang from the beads of sweat of the Prophet Mohammad.
- According to Greek Mythology - Cupid,
the Greek God of Love, is said to be the creator of the Rose.
- The same Greek Mythology also contradicts
it by saying that Zephyrus, the Greek God of West Wind, turned himself
into a rose to please his wife! (Now that’s one loving husband!!!)
Alas, who
knew we men had such a strong relation to flowers in the historical myths! I
never thought so until I did my little research ;-)
Some other bright little flowers which adorn my little garden... (Just boasting my Nokia's Powerful Camera and ability to capture great snaps here ;-) )
Sunset Bells
Mexican Oleander
Periwinkle
