Swarn Champa (स्वर्ण चम्पा)

Swarn Champa (स्वर्ण चम्पा)            (हिंदी ब्लॉग)

"Swarn Champa" is a magnificent flower that is used in the worship of Gods and Goddesses. It's lovely

Swarn Champa flower among the leaves

and strong fragrance may reach up to 50 to 70 feet distance in its vicinity. This fragrance is used commercially in incense sticks. Even after drying flowers, the fragrance is still there in "Swarn Champa" flowers. But it is difficult to pluck these flowers because you will see them at a height. The reason for flowering at height is that its branch-lets (Twigs) are not strong and easily break on bending, people can not resist themselves in plucking the flowers at lower heights so they break. One may say that its virtue is a curse to some extent.

It has got its name due to its yellow color. Gold is yellow and "Swarn" means gold in Hindi and Sanskrit. "Champa" are flowers of many varieties, different varieties are named with different prefixes. In a broad way, "Champa" is the magnolia family of flowers. Some are- "Kath Champa", "Kateli Champa", etc. "Swarn Champa" is also known as "Himalayan Champka". It is native to South East Asia and grows well in moist soil and a lot of sunshine. Some

'Swarn Champa' tree

say its botanical name as "Magnolia Rajaniana" but I could not verify it. This flower gets its reference in some old Hindu books and is planted near temples. In fact, it is the tradition that "Swarn Champa" along with "Bakula" trees are planted at both sides of the entrance gate of the temple complex. For its lovely fragrance, I have seen the "Swarn Champa" tree planted near the gates of many residential houses in Bhubaneswar.

"Swarn Champa" flower is a flower of worship too. It is offered to "Shiva", "Lakshmi" and "Ganesha". Sometimes also offered to "Vishnu". Some people say that "Champa" and "Kevada" flowers are not offered to "Shiva" citing some story behind it, but this is true for "Kevada" flowers only. As I have stated in my earlier blog that "Aadishankaracharya" composed "Shiva Manas Puja" in which it is said, "O master of animals (Pashupati), Kind hearted, I offer you jasmine flower, Champa flower, Bail-Patra, other flowers, Dhoop-Deepa all made by imagination in my heart, please accept it". So it is clear that "Champa" flowers are offered to Shiva. Another tell-tale is of the Mahabharata period. It is said that near "Baruna" hills in Odissa, "Kunti" had offered one lakh and one "Swarn Champa" flowers to Mahadeva with a wish of victory for her sons in the great war. So "Swarn Champa" is a flower loved by Shiva.

    It is also offered to Goddess Lakshmi. The "Swarn Champa"  flower is itself a representation of Goddess Lakshmi. Yellow flowers are offered to "Ganesh Bhagwan" so this flower is also offered to him. 

After the flowering season is over, the "Swarn Champa" tree bears fruits that resemble a bunch of grapes,