Tagar - A white flower

Widely used white "puja" flower              (हिंदी में पढ़ें)

             A milky white small flower with five petals and a thin light green peduncle (stem) which is popularly known as 'Tagar' is widely used in flower offerings to gods.

Single-layered Tagar/Taggar flower

Since white-colored flowers may be offered to most of the gods, their presence is common in flower baskets for worship. The white petals are not simple but slightly curved in the outer portion to give it a beautiful look. It resembles a pinwheel (फिरकी) so in some places, it is also known as a pinwheel flower. 'Tagar' plant is a shrub that may reach a height of 4-5 m with a dense canopy. In the rainy season, it flowers well with somewhat healthy-looking flowers and fills the outer side of the canopy evenly. This look of the plant given by white flowers and green leaves is awesome. But if this plant happens to be in a temple premises or hedge, only unreachable flowers remain to show their beauty. At dawn when people go for a morning walk, it is a common scene to see people (for personal 'puja' offerings) or flower-sellers (माली - for selling at a flower shop) plucking 'Tagar' flowers from that part of the plant which hangs outside of the boundaries. If the house owner is not present at the time, they may be seen plucking it even inside of the boundary wall/ fence as far as their hands reach. In the old colony of the Gardanibagh area of Patna, the 'Tagar' plant was widely used as a hedge along woven wire fencing. In most of the quarters, they were not regularly cut to shape, so they used to grow to a good height and flowered abundantly. The flower sellers would start in plucking business right from 4 AM in the morning and have a good harvest. Another reason for its popularity is that it flowers nearly the whole of the years. In summer when water is scarce, one may notice that the size and number of the flowers have diminished.

A Tagar shrub full of buds and a few  flowers
Most of the flowers have been plucked by devotees

             White flowers are offered to Shiva and Saraswati. Ganesh and Vishnu and many other gods. Even in the Hanuman temple, this flower is used in offerings. You can notice sellers, outside of the famous "Mahavir Mandir" of Patna, selling garlands of 'Tagar' flowers for worship and they would strongly insist visitors buy it. 

            The 'Tagar' plant does not bear fruits. The flowers do not remain fresh for more than 36 hours and fall down. It does not pollinate. The flower sellers even make garlands of buds of this flower that too look beautiful.

           Though most of the flowers used in Hindu worship have deep or light fragrances this flower has none.

Double Layered Tagar flowers

            There is another variety of the 'Tagar' flower which has double layers of petals. Its plant has dark green leaves but it flowers less in number than the single-layered variety. Unlike the single-layered, double-layered flower has a sweet fragrance. 

         In addition to Tagar, Taggar, and Pinwheel flowers, it is also known as Crape Jasmine, Chandni, and Doodhphool. This flower is native to India and very common here. Almost all temples have this plant on their campus.

--<<0>>--