Plants of India: Parijata

Parijata-The Wish-Granting Tree
by Christopher McMahon

Part 1: Collecting Parijat

This January(1998) we(Ramakant Harlalka and I) were on our morning walk in the Matunga section of Mumbai. Along a busy thoroughfare we spotted a beautiful parijat tree(Nycanthes arbortrisis) growing near an apartment complex. As it was the sunrise hour, the delicate flowers were gently falling to the ground and covering the pavement with elegant beauty. We carefully collected a few of them and placing them in my palm I inhaled a lovely bouquet that reminded one of the essense of orange flowers and jasmine. It had a slightly sharper penetrating note but the overall effect was soft and sweet. We decided to collect a small basket of them so we could photograph them in the small studio we had set-up in the flat I was staying. As we picked up one ethereal flower after another, I felt as if I was joining hands with generation after generations of Indians who have collected them for offering at home alters or in the numerous temples that are to be found in countryside, town and city. In ancient Hindu literature the parijatak tree appears as one of the first gifts to humankind hence its sacred status. It was a simple, pleasurable activity that did not harm the tree and gave us a lot of joy because we could come close to the plant and appreciate a little more what a special role it played in the lives of the Indian people.

The tree we were collecting flowers from was located on a main street and even at that early hour the constant flow of buses, trucks, scooters, and cars with their accompanying noise had commenced. The enviroment in which the tree was living was far from ideal both from the viewpoint of air and sound pollution and the neglected soil in which it was growing yet it gave of its fragrant essence for one and all to enjoy. Its concern was not for caste, color or creed but only to serve the purpose for which it had been created. Its scattered fragrant flower, for the most part, were neglected and trod underfoot as the people rushed to their various jobs, unaware of the refined beauty and aroma within easy reach of their hands. I found in its example a very good lesson for my own life in that a person should always strive to do good no matter how adverse the outer circumstances may be. It is not an easy lesson to learn but one well worth considering as through it nobility of character is built and inner peace is attained.

The parijatak tree is known in Hindi as harsinghar and Bengali as shifali. It bears the botanical name of Nycathus arbortristis. It is a hardy large shrub or small tree sometimes reaching a height of 30 feet. Its bark is green is grey to greenish-white in color and a bit rough in texture. It has a thick branching structure with green oval-shaped leaves. Its 4 to 8 flower petals are arranged about a vibrant orange tube in a pinwheel pattern. These highly fragrant flowers open at night perfuming the surrounding area with an intensely sweet floral aroma. The morning following the night bloom, the flowers fall to the earth carpeting it with their fragile beauty. In the ancient times sages and seers noted each intesting quality of individual plants and in order to teach the people to closely observe their life cycles they created beautiful stories.

Updated: 5/26/2006

Copyright (C) 1998 by Christopher McMahon. All rights reserved.

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