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Nishagandhi – Queen of the Night

Disclaimer: A friend tells me this flower is Kalyana Saugandhikam (garland lily) and not Nishagandhi. 

Finally one of my Nishagandhis has bloomed. Here’s the picture. 

I have four pots of this plant which is quite exotic as its very name implies. Belonging to the Cactaceae family, this flower goes by different names. The Indian name ‘Nishagandhi’ comes from two Sanskrit words: nisha = night & gandh: fragrance. This flower blooms in the night and wilts as dawn breaks. I took the above pic just before sunrise this morning.

I have waited for nearly half a year now for this blossoming. It’s not easy to get these flowers which have a divine touch. It is known as Brahma Kamala, Bethlehem Lily, and the flower of healing. The Chinese consider the Nishagandhi flower to be lucky. I consider it as cosmic flower.

The Nishagandhi has many medicinal properties. Ayurveda uses it for treating diabetes, breathing disorders, throat infections, digestive problems, and so on. Of course, I don’t intend to use it for medicine. I keep it for its sheer splendour, its heavenliness, its magic.

I have been keeping all the four pots just outside our bedroom. Its very fragrance, which emerges in the night, is supposed to have a calming effect on the nervous system, aiding relaxation and potentially improving sleep quality.

Like all good things, the Nishagandhi flower is short-lived. Just one night. That is the tragedy. And the plants aren’t at all generous. They produce flowers very rarely. Once a year, I’m told. I shall wait for the next bloom. After all heavenly things can’t be too common. 

Here's another pic of the flower from a medical website. This one looks absolutely stunning. I'm waiting for one such inflorescence. 


Related Post: Waiting for my champak to bloom

Comments

  1. Liz A.November 20, 2024 at 12:45 AM

    It's pretty. Sad that it only blooms so infrequently. Hopefully you'll get more blooms.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yamini MacLeanNovember 20, 2024 at 3:04 AM

    Hari Om
    eeerrrrrrmmmmm.... what you have written about Nishagandhi is correct - except that is not the flower you have in your pots, if that top photo is true representation... that is what I know as White Ginger. Latin name, Hedychium Coronarium. Common names, butterfly lily, fragrant garland flower, Indian garland flower, white butterfly ginger lily or white ginger. See these photos. Very lovely, but you'll be waiting lifetimes for any multi-petaled lovelies like that last image. YAM xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalNovember 20, 2024 at 6:19 AM

      You're right. The person who gave me the saplings got it wrong. In fact the root of this plant looks exactly like ginger. Let the post stay nevertheless 😊

      Delete
  3. magiceyeNovember 20, 2024 at 6:55 AM

    Looks like what we call Sontakka in Maharashtra!

    ReplyDelete
  4. peppylady (Dora)November 23, 2024 at 8:23 AM

    Sort of looks like mix between iris and lilly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalNovember 23, 2024 at 1:06 PM

      I'm learning more about this plant which has confused a lot of people apparently. Yamini above is right. It is ginger lily.

      Delete

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