Lotus

Lotus, scientifically known as `Nelumbo Nucifera` is the National Flower of India. The flower Lotus is regarded with divinity and grace. The lotus holds additional significance for Hindus, as it is a symbol of God and used often in religious practices. Then in Indian thought, there is the last and final lotus - Charan Kamal or lotus feet of the Almighty. They are found in white and pink colors in general. Some blue colored flowers are also sighted. The pink one is regarded as the National Flower of India.

Often, the Hindu Goddesses Laxmi and Saraswati are associated with the flower lotus. Even Lord Shiva, who wanted to escape the anger of the Lord Saneeswaran, transformed himself into the shape of a bee and took shelter inside a lotus. Buddhists regard this flower as a sacred one. The Lotus symbolizes divinity, fertility, wealth, knowledge and not to forget enlightenment.

Lending to its uniqueness, the flower grows in muddy waters and rises on a long tail above the surface to bloom gloriously. It is also a symbol of victory. Since the lotus is rooted in the mud and can survive to regerminate for thousands of years. It represents long life, health, honour and good fortune. Untouched by the impurity, lotus symbolizes the purity of heart and mind. Human beings are instructed by Indian scripture to live a life of non-attachment, which is very hard.

These flowers enjoy a warm sunlight and intolerant to cold weather. This is why; they are not seen blossoming in the winter. The floating leaves and flowers have long stems, which contains air spaces to maintain the good spirit. The genus Lotus contains approximately 150 species distributed world-wide. Lotus is a genus of legume and its members are adapted to a wide range of habitats, from coastal environments to high altitudes. Most species have leaves with three leaflets, but also two large stipules at the base roughly equal in size to the leaflets, thus appearing to have five leaflets; some species have pinnate leaves with up to 15 leaflets.

The flowers are in clusters of 3-10 together at the apex of a stem with some basal leafy bracts, pea-flower shaped, vivid yellow or orange, occasionally red. Lotus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera. It was this depth of thought that made the founding fathers of modern India enshrine the `Lotus` in the Constitution as the `National Flower`.

Lotus has the title of India"s national flower and is a symbol of purity in Buddhist and Hindu traditions. One of the most common uses of lotus in traditional medicine is stopping diarrhoea.

The flowers of Nelumbium speciosum, called Padma or Kamala, are sacred to Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. The white variety of this plant is called Pundarika, the red, Kokanada and the blue, Indivara. The entire plant including root, stem and flower is called Padmini. The torus or receptacle for the seed is called Karnikara, and the honey formed in the flowers is Makaranda. The filaments round the base of the receptacle, pass by the name of Kinjalka and the leaf stalk by that of Mrinala.

Parts of Lotus as Medicine
The root-stocks of these water plants contain a sort of starch and are eaten by the poor classes. During the famine of 1866 in Odisha, they were much sought after by the starving people.

The seeds of Nelumbium speciosum are eaten raw. The small seeds of Nymphoea Lotus, called bheta, are fried in heated sand and used as a light easily digestible food. The seeds of Euryale ferox called "Makhanna" in Sanskrit, are also used in the same manner, and are regarded as light, invigorating food suited for sick people.

The filaments of these plants are used medicinally. They are considered astringent and cooling, and useful in burning of the body, bleeding piles and menorrhagia. In bleeding piles the filaments of the lotus are given with honey and fresh butter or with sugar. In menorrhagia the filaments of Nymphoea stellata are given with the addition of sonchal salt, nigella seeds, liquorice powder, curdled milk and honey.

A compound decoction is thus prepared named "Utpaladi Sritam": Take the filaments of Nymphoea Lotus, N. stellata and N. rubra, of the white variety of Nelumbium speciosum and liquorice root in equal parts, all in 2 tolas and prepare a decoction in the usual way. This decoction is said to be useful in thirst, burning of the body, fainting, vomiting, haemorrhages from the internal organs and bleeding from the womb during gestation.

A cooling application for external use is prepared as follows; Take the filaments and leaf-stalks of Nelumbium speciosum, Nymphoea stellata and Nymphoea Lotus and of red sandal wood, equal parts and rub them together into a thin paste with cold water. This is applied to the forehead in cephalalgia. A paste made of emblic myrobalans and the filaments of the lotus is also used for the same purpose. Similar compositions are recommended for external inflammations, erysipelas, etc.

The large leaves of Nelumbium speciosum are used as cool bed-sheets, in high fever with much heat and burning of the skin.