Walking on a carpet of fallen stars, writes Disney Brar

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The gods kept these white and coral hued flowers exclusively for themselves until Lord Krishna decided to pluck the Harsingar plant from Indra’s garden and bring it down to the earth to plant it in Vrindavan and recreate the heavens down here.

Chandigarh, September 26

As the year softly cradles the month of September in its arms and holds it close to its bosom, as we cross the threshold of the Autumn equinox and hop into Fall, a distinct, heady and an intoxicating fragrance dominant in the air crawls into our bed with us at night. Wafting in through the open windows wherever the plant of the Harsingar, also called Parijat or the Night Jasmine is planted in the vicinity. Its Sanskrit name is Rajani-hasa which means, ‘the one who forms the night’s smile’.

It is one of the sacred treasures present in the universe and one of five divine trees which came out whilst milking of the universe during the Samudra Manthan. Harsingar, which means the ornament of the gods, is one of the only flowers which can be picked up from the ground and offered to the gods up there. This flower which sees an important mention in the Mahabharat and the Puranas also helps one remember one’s past lives and incarnations when held close to one’s heart. These tiny flowers also hold rich Indian folklore and poetic melancholy inside their tiny petals.

Romancing the queen of the night

These star-shaped, white and orange hued flowers blossom as the day prepares to kiss the night and drops down to the ground with the first brush of the sun rays. These flowers burst into profusion as the year transitions from the monsoons towards the darker side of the year. Also called the tree of sorrow, there are many theories which surround its mystical appearance on this earth, one of which narrates the tale of how princess Parijataka fell head over heels in love with Surya-The Sun God, but when he rejected her and returned to the heavens , she died of a broken heart and was cremated, from her ashes grew the Harsingar tree.

While another version of the same story says that after Parijata won Surya’s love over, he came down to Earth to spend time with her but had to return to his abode since Earth was not a very conducive environment for an intense celestial being like Surya, heart-broken Parijata followed him back, however the intensity of his heat burnt her to ashes. This put Surya in deep sorrow and he decided to grant Parijata another life in the form of a tree that rose from her ashes. That is why these flowers are white in colour with blazing orange hearts which symbolises that Surya always remains at the core of Parijata’s heart, also immortalising their love. It is believed that Surya visits her every night and makes love to her, thus making the flowers fragrant, bringing the night alive.

But Parijata still cannot bear the rays of the sun that is why the flowers shed at the first sight of the sun rays at the crack of dawn. The flowers shed like tears of pain reminding every one of the unconditional love that Parijata nestles for Surya even after she died. The tree is said to be planted in heaven.
Another tale states that Lord Krishna had to bring this tree from Indra’s garden down to the earth to appease his two wives-Satyabhama and Rukmini and put an end to the jealousy between them by planting the tree in Satyabhama’s courtyard but also cleverly planting it in a way that the flowers fell in Rukmani’s courtyard, balancing his love between both of them.

Blessed with the best

Beyond the love, romance and the poetic beauty of these flowers, is their power to silently heal maladies of our mind and body. Its jagged leaves and bark are highly priced in Ayurveda for treating chronic joint pains, lowering body temperature and soothing respiratory ailments. I also like to pluck a few leaves of this plant and brew them in my kettle in the morning while making tea.
These flowers also take one to lofty spiritual heights when spent time with in a meditative way, making the one holding them cross the chasms of life and death and arrive at past destinations and lifetimes which help resolve the immediate issues at hand in this life. The mystique and depth of these flowers and the immense power that they hold is difficult to fathom. Personally, they are my favourite flowers and I wait all year around to hold them in the cusp of my hands and inhale their sweet scent which immediately transports me to another world and another time when love ruled the air with Parijataka and her divine lover Surya.

Harsingar is currently in blossom and will continue to enchant and enthral us with their divine radiance and fragrance till the bitter cold sets in, do try to spend time with them and allow them to take you to destinations hitherto unknown. Do cherish these floral stars till they continue to fall on this earth making it a better place to live in.