Parijata or पारीजात or Nycanthes arbortrisis Thank you for your responses. Parijata Also known as divine flower and Wish Granting Tree.. Has a story about this flower and lord Krishna.... The Story of the Parijata Flower One day Krsna was sitting among His wives in Dvaraka ? all 16,108 queens were present, including Rukmini and Satyabhama. Narada arrived there with a parijata flower plucked from heaven and told Krsna, "Please take this flower and give it to Your favourite queen." Krsna thought, "Narada is very tricky; he wants to throw Me in a dilemma. If I give this flower to Rukmini, then Satyabhama and the other queens will be angry, and it will take great effort to pacify them. And if I hand it to Satyabhama, then Rukmini will be jealous.? Read more at http://purebhakti.com/lectures/lecture20030525.shtml from http://members.aol.com/parijata/parijata1.html Plants of India: Parijata *Parijata-The Wish-Granting Tree by Christopher McMahon Part 1: Collecting Parijat In ancient Hindu literature the parijatak tree appears as one of the first gifts to humankind hence its sacred status. Part 2: Stories of Parijata With regards to the parijatak tree this story is often narrated in certain communities. Once a royal princess fell in love with the sun god-Surya Dev. She was enamored of his brilliance and beauty as he daily passed through the sky from east to west in his fiery chariot. Her devotion attracted his attention and for a while he favored her with his attention but after awhile he was distracted with other interests and she was deserted. In despair she killed herself and from her cremated ashes the parijatak tree arose. Since she was rejected by Surya Dev, the flowers of the tree only bloom at night. Then before the sun rises the flowers fall so its rays will not strike her. Based on this story the tree was given the species name ?arbortristis? which means ?tree of sorrow?. Another story surrounding the trees? origin is found in several ancient Indian scriptures called the Puranas. It is said that when the celestial beings, at the behest of Hari-the Preserver of the Universe, churned the cosmic ocean to obtain certain boons that would help alleviate suffering and protect the powers of good from the powers of evil one of the parijatak tree appeared as one of the divine treasures. Its perfume was said to permeate the entire universe. Because the tree holds such a elevated place in India?s sacred lore, the tree is revered by devote Hindus. The story, on one level, clearly illustrates that trees, flowers and fragrance represent some of the finest boons for humankind. After the parijatak tree emerged from the ocean of existence it taken to the heaven worlds and planted in the pleasure garden of Indra- the lord of the gods. One day a great sage of ancient times named Narad Muni visited this garden in his meditations visited this garden and saw this lovely tree emitting its divine perfume. Using his yogic powers he gathered up some of these ethereal blossoms and brought them back to the physical plane and gave them to Rukmini, the favorite wife of the renowned avatar of Vishnu, Lord Krishna, who was at that time dwelling in Dwaraka in north India. The flowers were so lovely and the fragrance so delicate that Satyabhama another wife of Lord Krishna became desirous of possessing that celestial tree and having it planted in her own garden. She was jealous of the attention Krishna was showing to Rukmini and wanted him to give more time to her. She implored him to obtain the tree for her. To satisfy her desire he entered into a state of deep meditation and in that state plucked up the tree from the garden. Before leaving that place he was accosted by the keepers of the garden and was told he would incur the wrath of Indra as the tree belonged to his wife Sachi. But Satyabhama would not be put off by any obstacle and said that the tree was the common property of all and had as much place on earth as it had in the heavens. As a result Krishna waged a great war with Indra and his celestial army. In the end Krishna?s strength prevailed and Indra was forced to retreat. At that time Satyabhama taunted him as being a coward but decided to give back his celestial tree. Krishna also consented to return the tree to its celestial abode. But Indra said that there was no shame in being defeated by the avatar of Vishnu and that the tree should be taken to earth and planted in Dwarka where its fragrance could be enjoined by all the people of the earth. Thus the first parijatak tree was planted and its divine fragrance was said to spread for three furlongs. Its aroma was charged with so much power that it would help people enhaling it to remember events of their past lives. In this instance also we can see that the sages were explaining to the people that fragrance was a valuable means of accessing stored memories. In the East memory has a much more comprehensive meaning than in the West as it can include past lives as it is believed that the soul takes countless births on its journey to perfection but the same basic principal is explained in this story as is encountered in western literature regarding how fragrance stimulates memories of past events in ones life. Part 3: Cultural Significance of Parijata The parijatak tree is native to India and in its natural habitat is found growing up to an altitude of 1,500 meters. It adapts well to dry slopes and rocky ground. Because of its fragrant flowers it is cultivated in gardens throughout the country. Even when neglected it still produces fragrant flowers in abundance. Its greatest enemy is standing water which causes the roots to rot and die. If a little care is given to the plant in the form of periodic deep waterings, well rotted compost, and judicious pruning it can take on the form of a trully elegant specimen. Its flowering season is quite long, extending from August to December in most regions. It is an excellent selection for planting in semi-shady situations. Parijata Tree... In India the parijat tree is planted in the precincts of temples because of the sublime atmosphere created by the aroma of its flowers. The Muslim people, too, have an affection for the flower and it is said that it is planted in their grave yards. In the morning the ethereal flowers carpet the tombs with a natural aromatic floral display. The story that this tells is simple and beautiful. In nature, the parijat tree grows to a mature specimen which produces innummerable flowers. These flowers grow to maturity and for a brief time give off their fragrance for one and all to enjoy. When the perfume is exhausted, they fall to the earth, wither, and die having fulfilled the mission of their life. Our lives, in the ideal sense, should follow their example. We, as part of the human family, are like the flowers of the mother plant. In the beginning our innate beauty is hidden as it can only be developed through the experiences of life both good and bad. Through the ups and downs of life, if we are fortunate, we come to the point where out of the heart comes a sweet perfume of love and compassion for one and all. Having given of that perfume in a quiet, unassuming way, the time comes when the bodies resources are exhausted and we depart from this plane of existences and our soul essence reunites with the invisible essence from which we come. Part 4: Parijata Attar The delicate aroma of the flower did not escape the notice of India?s original perfumer?s. This class of people wer always trying to capture the fragrance of the countries exotic flowers by one means or another. They invented many unique ways of extracting the valuable essence of the plant and even today this art and craft is practiced Uttar Pradesh by the perfumers of Kannauj. The perfumers know all the places in the vicinity where parijat grows and they commission the local people to gather the flowers in the early morning. Whole families spend a couple of hours each day during the flowering season, collecting the fragile blossoms and bringing them to a person who weighs them out and pays them for their fragrant wares. Immediately the fresh flowers are placed in a copper still containing water in the ratio of 1 part fresh material to 2 parts of water. A standard still called a "deg"holds approximately 80 litres of water and 40 kgs of flowers. A clay snake then is placed upon the lip of the "deg"and the lid or "sarpos" is set on top of it. A flexible piece of metal with hooked ends called a "kamani" spring slides under the lip of the "deg"and over the "sarpos" A wedge is then driven between the lid and metal spring creating a tight seal between the still and lid. Meanwhile another long neck copper vessel called a "bhapka", acting as a receiver containing 5 kgs of sandalwood, is prepared and a bamboo pipe called a "chonga" wrapped with twine made from native grasses is inserted into it. A tight seal is formed by wrapping the pipes end with several layers of cotton cloth and forcibly inserting into the narrow mouth of the receiver. The other end of the bamboo pipe is affixed to the lid using cotton and clay. The receiver sits below the deg in a water bath. A fire is ignited beneath the deg using wood or cow dung and the distillation process is initiated. When the heat generated within the still is sufficient the aroma containing cells rupture and their volatile constituents mingle with steam, pass through the bamboo tube and condense in the water cooled receiver. In the receiving chamber, the sandalood ?fixes? the highly volatile aromatic constituents of parijat. The whole distilling process of one batch of flowers takes approximately 8-10 hours. Operations then cease and the mixture in the receiver is allowed to separate out during the course of the night. The following morning the water is drained out and the receiver containing the fragrance-charged sandalwood is reconnected to the "deg" A new batch of flowers is added to fresh water plus the previous days water obtained from the receiver and the same process is repeated. This cycle goes on for approximately 15 days or until the sandalwood achieves the proper concentration of aroma. In the past these indigenous perfumes called "attar"or "ittar" were esteemed not only for their exquisite fragrance but also for their healing power. Ayurvedic physicians used them to treat a variety of diseases based on the precious aromatic molecules contained in each oil. Today it is virtually impossible to obtain a pure attar. Most are either adulterated with synthetic chemicals or are composed entirely of the same. A person wishing to use them therapeutically should never even consider doing so unless he is 100% sure that his source is genuine and this must be backed up with modern techniques of testing the oils through gas chromatography, etc. Up to this time only one or two companies have attempted to develop a finger print for these oils. Perhaps, with the current interest in aromatherapy, this trend will change and this art will be revived with full assurances of quality and purity. I mention this simply because it is a subject that interests me greatly and I know from personal experience that the shops selling these oils are not really telling the people the truth about their products. A person visiting India and purchasing the oils offered by the the attractive perfume shops like those found in Bombay and Lahore are truly asking for trouble if they are thinking that they are being given the genuine article. If, on the other hand, a person is only interested in the oil from a fragrance standpoint, it is possible to get a resonable fascimile at a nominal cost. A true attar of relatively high odor value will normally cost well over $1500.00 US per kilo and they can cost much more. Part 5: Medicinal Properties and Economic Uses of Parijata When the foundations of Indian civilization were laid several thousand years ago, the sages and seers were careful to study in great detail, the plants, animals and minerals of the area in which they lived The aromatic principles of flowers like parijat were appreciated in their own right but the rest of the plant was also observed to discover what other properties in might possess to be of use in serving the needs of those who lived in their(the plants) vicinity. Even today the rural people of India utilize parijat in the same ways that their ancestors did. Medicinal Uses The fresh leaves of the plant prepared in the form of juice, infusions or decoctions and in combination with other herbs are found to be useful in treating inflamations, sciatica, pruritis(itching) fever, bronchitis, asthma, cough, dyspepsia(difficulty with digestion associated with pain, flautulence, heartburn and nausea), constipation as the active principals contained within them are found to have anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, digestive, expectorant, sudorific, diurectic and laxative properites. The leaves were also considered antidotal for reptile venom.Various preparations of the fresh flowers were found useful in treating diseases like colic, dyspepsia, flatulence, greyness of hair and balness as they wer astringent, stomachic, and carminative in nature. The bark when chewed with betelnut and leaf was eaten to promote expectoration of thick phlem. The seeds when powdered and prepared as a paste are used to cure scurvy and affections of the scalp. Economic Uses The wood has been used to form a food batten base for tile or grass thatch roofs while the young branches are suitable for making baskets. The bark of the tree is sometimes used as a tanning material and the leaves are used for polishing wood and ivory. ----sorry i couldn't post all here due to 6500 character limit, read more at the given urls.