कनेर के फूल ... Oleander flower !

कनेर के फूल (हिंदी ब्लॉग)

A shrub of yellow oleander (Cascabela Thevetia - पीला कनेर ) 

Beautiful Oleander flowers !

              Oleander is one of the common flowers of worship in India. This evergreen tropical plant is easy to grow. Once it is planted it requires little care. It grows as a shrub and even in drought-like conditions it survives. The flowers are beautiful too. So it is even grown as an ornamental flower. Some people grow it as a hedge. Nowadays it is being extensively grown as ornamental plants on the dividers of National Highways due to the above qualities. Oleander and hibiscus flower trees can be seen near almost all the temples. Oleander flowers are of two types- Yellow oleander (Cascabela Thevetia, पीला कनेर ) and Red oleander (Nerium oleander, लाल कनेर ), both of them used in worship. Though the looks and structure of flowers of both varieties vary a lot, the difference between their leaves is not much.  

The Oleander tree full of flowers

Cascabela Thevetia, पीला कनेर   

               This is a funnel-shaped flower of mostly deep yellow color but sometimes white or reddish-yellow colored flower may also be found. Almost all parts of the plant are toxic but the fruit is the most toxic. There have been many incidents of death due to consumption of this fruit which is peculiar in shape. The flower has a faint fragrance. Like many other toxic flowers, the yellow oleander flower is very much liked by Shiva.

Yellow oleander flower (Cascabela Thevetia - पीला कनेर ) 

     The western specialists think it is native to Mexico or Central America but it is present in India from ancient times. Its proof is the Holy book "Sri Madbhagawat Purana" written by "Ved Vyas".In tenth "Skanda" (section) while describing the childhood "Leelas" of Sri Krishna there are many activities of child Krishna which are quite interesting. One of these activities says that while playing with friends in the jungle Child Krishna plucks yellow oleander flowers and puts them on both of his ears. This shows that the oleander flower is present in India from time immemorial.

   Since yellow is the favorite color of Krishna (He wears the "Peetamber" - yellow-colored clothes) and the above activity mentioned in the Holy book "Sri Madbhagawat Purana", so the yellow oleander flowers are also offered to Sri Krishna during his worship. So this flower is offered to both Shiva and Krishna. 

Nerium Oleander (लाल कनेर)

Nerium Oleander / लाल कनेर 

          Red oleander can be differentiated from yellow one by looking at the leaves. The leaves of the red oleander plant are somewhat broader and darker in shade compared to the yellow variety. But the most striking feature is the completely different shape of the flower. It is smaller, red-pink or white in color and it flowers in bunches. 

White flowers on a
Nerium Oleander shrub
at
Sun Temple, Bundu

            The red/pink flowers are offered to Goddess Durga, Kali, Gauri, and her other "Roopas". In "Tantrik worship" (तांत्रिक साधना) this flower is very important. Even the shrub of red oleander has its importance in this worship. The "Tantrik" (The devotee who takes the path of 'Tantra') has to worship and complete the related "Mantra Jaap" near the red oleander tree.    

Golden Trumpet (स्वर्ण कनेर)

Golden Trumpet, Allamanda, Swarn Kaner
similar to Techoma,Tekumba,TrumpetBush

 This flower resembles Yellow Oleander, only its petals are larger. It comes from a completely different plant family. Earlier I did not take it as a flower of worship but during my recent visit to temples at Bhubaneswar, Orissa  I saw these flowers being offered to gods and goddesses. I asked the priests there what flower it was and whether it should be offered to gods. He told me that here it is called "Swarn Kaner" (स्वर्ण कनेर) and offered to gods. I searched for this flower by this name on the internet but could not find any reference. I went to a nursery and asked its name from the gardener. He told me that it is 'Allamanda' and is offered to god because it has five petals. Though his reasoning was not acceptable because there are numerous flowers that have five petals but are not flowers of worship. Well, I researched on it a bit and found that it is a plant of South America which has got well adapted to tropical areas. Its botanical name is Allamanda Cathertica and commonly called 'Allamanda', Golden Trumpet, or Yellow 'Allamanda'. Again there is yet another similar flower which is used like it and its name is "Techoma stans" or Chestnutleaf Trumpetbush(Tekumba). It flowers in bunches. These flowers do not get any mention in the "Puranas" or ancient Hindu books because they were not available here then. Since these flowers resemble "Kaner" and being offered in most of the temples we too accept it as a flower of the offering.

So be familiar with this important "Puja Flower" and offer them to your God during the worship. 

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