Article Written By EIH Researcher And Writer
Aparnna R. Menon
Flowers have long played a significant role in our lives, featuring in everything from birth to death. One of the well-known in this lengthy list is Jasmine, also known as “the queen of the night.” The scent of jasmine is evocative of a variety of memories; beautiful gardens, prayer halls, lovely gajras, jasmine attars, and more. These exquisite white blossoms have marked their prominence in traditions, literature, art, and aesthetics.
Derived from the Persian word Yasmin which means ‘gift from God’ jasmine has been dominant in the subcontinent since time immemorial. Jasmines have been widely used to enhance visual appeal, primarily as a hair accessory. A flower fit for young girls, fertile women, bridegrooms, and deities combining notions of femininity and fertility. Jasmine blossoms, now replaced with artificial ones, have been used in dances across the country to accentuate the outfits. These flowers are also a common sight to behold at weddings, particularly in the south. Right from the hairdo of the bride to the garlands, and decorations, jasmine tends to be a quintessential item for auspicious occasions. These flowers also adorn males on certain occasions as the linguist Bernard Bates points out. Bridegrooms are decorated with them (as a symbol of their virility and feminine prowess), as are corpses (as a feminine sign that replaces the feminine pulse that has been lost in the brute masculine corporeality of the dead body).
Varied jasmine blossoms have been entrenched in the mythologies of the subcontinent. Goddess Saraswati is described as white as jasmine. As per Ramayana, the parijata flowers (night jasmine) are believed to have been a result of samudra manthan or churning of the ocean. A prominent flower in Indra’s abode, its scent is said to have fragranced the world. The auspiciousness of the parijata is so much so that even the fallen flowers can be offered to the gods. Another interesting legend of parijata emerges from a tragic tale noted in Vayu Purana. Princess Parijataka, who fell in love with the sun, had an unfortunate ending when the sun deserted her. She burns herself and the shrub of parijata emerges from the ashes. As a reminder of this tragic tale, the flowers bloom at night, unable to bear the sight of the sun. A similar story is also recorded among the tribals of Dandakaranya according to whom the chieftain’s daughter falls in love with the sun. Though the sun reciprocated the love, this version of the story also fails to achieve a happily ever after as she is abandoned by the sun god. The protagonist dies of grief and the ashes of her cremation get carried away across the country by the wind. The flowers of these plants refuse to see the sun and bloom only at night. Based on the sthala purana of the Amirtakadeshwara temple at Tirukkadaiyur (Tamil Nadu), the downy (kunda) jasmines are believed to be brought by Markandeya from Varanasi to worship Lord Amirtakadeshwara. According to the beliefs, the worship of the deity with this flower is said to grant all that one asks. The kind of kundo jasmines is also used in worship and some wedding practices in Manipur. Jasmines are also sacred in Jainism as the eighteenth tirtankara opts nandivriksha as his symbol. Parijata flowers are also planted near the tombs of the saint so that the fallen flowers may adorn them in the morning. Buddhist monks also used this to dye their robes. The Madurai malligai, a kind of jasmine has also earned a GI (geographical indication) tag in 2013. Popularly called the jasmine capital of the country, Madurai shares several stories of jasmine linking the buds to Madurai Meenakshi temple. According to beliefs, Goddess Meenakshi adorned and anointed herself with this variety of jasmine for her union with Lord Sundareswarar. The Chitirai utsavan that falls in the spring commemorates these nuptial ties.
Jasmines have seeped into the realm of literature, serving as symbols of love in Indo-Islamic traditions. Classical Tamil poetry often compared the blooming jasmine blossoms to the beautiful love held between a couple. Sangam poetry employs these flowers to depict harmony in love, longing, and so on. Another interesting narrative comes from the puram poetry where the chieftain Pari gives away his chariot to a jasmine creeper that struggles to hold on to something for growth. Here, Dr. C Balasubramanian, a noted academic writes how jasmine represents flora and fauna that got embraced within the notions of kingship in Sangam poetry. As a token of patient endurance and longing, the mullai flowers have also been used in the tropes where the lady awaits her beloved. In the renowned poetry Abhijñānaśākuntalam of Kalidasa, Shakuntala is described ‘as delicate as a jasmine’ by her companion. Dushyanta is enamored by this “flower that no one has smelled.” The usage of jasmine as something to indicate innocence and chastity is pretty clear. Thus these flowers so carried themselves as similes that meant much more. Often assigned as an emblem of femininity they were symbols of purity, sensuality, and divinity. The arrowheads of Kamadeva are believed to also constitute jasmine, the other four being aravinda (white lotus), ashoka (sorrow-less tree), cuta (mango flower), navamallika (jasmine) and nilotpala (blue lotus). Here, jasmine represents the desire for Stambhana (heating), a stage of kama. The jasmine bud-like teeth have been often used by poets to describe protagonists and more. In the realm of literature, they also served as a calendar reminder of the advent of the rainy season both in the real and metaphorical sense. Sadia Dehlavi, author of several books including Jasmine and Jinns: Memories and Recipes of My Delhi, shares an interesting anecdote in the aforementioned book. Recalling summer nights, she mentions how her mother would place jasmine flowers on the charpai of the elders. These were omitted for young girls as it was believed that the jinns would be drawn to the scent of jasmine and become possessive lovers, causing obstacles to marriage proposals.
The medical properties of this flower have been noted in Charaka Samhita, studies by Prof Sugata Ray. He contends that medical writings suggest that the Jasminum grandifiorum was employed in tantric magical rituals and as a remedy for ailments like leprosy. Several medical usages are assigned to these as they are used for a range of ailments including toothache, intestinal worms, skin diseases, etc. The needle jasmine flower and its oils are used to treat sores. The leaf extract helps mouth ulcers while the flower aids in inducing menstruation and cures urinary orders. Kundo jasmines are said to be a good antidote for cobra venom. Jasmine oil is also used extensively for skin and hair rejuvenation. Apart from medicines, the fragrance of jasmine has been used to curate oils and perfumes. The Mughal emperors have lauded these as one of the most aromatic flowers in South Asia. The aroma of jasmine attar is seen as divine. A principal ingredient in the first perfume curated by brands like Chanel, this fragrance is said to create confidence, attractiveness, and mental stimulation.
Intertwined with cultural practices, belief systems, legends, and more, jasmine has more than one story. These flowers have been much more than garden flowers all through history.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bose, Jhelum Biswas. Phoolproof: Indian Flowers, Their Myths, Traditions & Usage. Ebury Press, an Imprint of Penguin Random House, 2019.
Nanditha, Krishna, and M. Amirthalingam. Sacred Plants of India. 2014.
Ray, S. (n.d.). “A ‘Small’ Story of the Jasmine Flower in the Era of Global Botany,” in Crafting Enlightenment: Artisanal Histories and Transnational Networks, edited by Jennifer Ferng and Lauren Cannady, 247–72. Liverpool: Oxford University Studies in the. (PDF). Accessed on Mar 12, 2023
Balasubramanian, C. A critical study of kuruntokai. Narumalarp patippakam (Madras). 1991
Dehlvi , Sadia. Jasmine and Jinns in Jasmine and Jinns_ Memories and Recipes-. India, HarperCollins Publishers.
Bate, Bernard. On Life, Moonlight, and Jasmine in Tamil Oratory and the Dravidian Aesthetic: Democratic Practice in South India. 2009.
