Trees source of eternal pleasure and beauty - Morning walk vignettes.
After we returned from Delhi on 27 May 2020, Priti and I started our morning walk only by mid-June 2020.
Initially, we used to pass this tree almost every day without even noticing it.
Tree on our morning walk route.
Beginning of November we found some long-stemmed flowers lying on the ground under this tree. Priti called them बुचाची फुलं.
(Buch बुच - in Marathi means stopper or cork. फुलं - is flowers)
The tree we are talking about is बुचाच झाड (Cork Tree) or commonly known as cork Tree, Tree Jasmine.
Regional names for this tree are Hindi - Akashneem, Chameli, Bengali - Akasneem, Marathi - Buch, Malli, Katmalli, Telugu - Kavuki, Tamil - Kat-malli, Kannada - Beratu, Oriya - Mach-mach. Its botanical name is Millingtonia hortensis
(Internet is such a wonderful aid, help and learning tool.)
Seeing these flowers took both of us down our individual memory lanes.
We remembered that long time back when we were young, the long stems of these flowers with very nice fragrance were put to good use by the girls and married ladies. The long stems made it possible for them to weave a फुलाची वेणी ( flower braid/plait) without using thread and needle. It was an excellent creative time pass which gave them great pleasure and was a matter of pride to put on a वेणी weaved without using any thread all by themselves. In her younger days, Priti also weaved a वेणी from बुचाची फुलं every time the trees flowered. (sotto voce - and strutted around)
I also remembered that I had to spend a long time helping to collect huge quantities of these flowers for two of my younger sisters who had to weave THREE braids, one each for themselves and the third one for our mother :-)
For quite some time now the tree is in full bloom. A large number of flowers are lying on the ground. Flowers which are not crushed and look fresh are collected by us and brought home. Nowadays Priti does not weave a वेणी, instead, she puts them in a small vase and displays them in our drawing-room.
Tree Jasmin flowers in our drawing-room.
These trees have given immense pleasure and happiness to our grandmothers, mothers and ladies our generation have also enjoyed them and weaved a braid from cork tree flowers.
Our children and grandchildren will probably never wave a brad of these flowers but they will positively enjoy the sight of a tree Jasmin in full bloom and its fragrance.
Indeed these Trees have always been and will always be a source of eternal beauty and pleasure.
Tree Jasmin in full bloom.
Tree Jasmin in full bloom.
Saptiparni in full bloom next to it is added bonus.
Saptiparni in full bloom next to it is added bonus.
No comments:
Post a Comment