Among the most beloved and
fragrant flowers of India, Jasmine stands as a timeless symbol of purity, love,
and spirituality. With its tiny, star-like white blossoms and sweet, soothing
scent, it is woven deeply into India’s cultural, poetic, and religious
traditions. From garlands adorning temple deities to strands tucked into
women’s hair, jasmine is an inseparable part of Indian life. The flower is
often associated with grace and auspiciousness, and its fragrance has inspired
poets and devotees across centuries.
Known as Malligai in Tamil, Mallepoovu
in Telugu, Mogra in Marathi, and Chameli in Hindi, jasmine thrives in the warm
tropical climate of India and blooms abundantly during the summer months. Its
gentle white hue and rich aroma have made it a universal symbol of beauty,
innocence, and spiritual awakening.
In Tamil literature, especially in
Sangam poetry, jasmine is closely linked with themes of love and longing. The
flower often appears in Akam (interior) poems, where the heroine decorates her
hair with malligai blossoms while waiting for her beloved. The flower’s gentle
fragrance mirrors the tenderness of her emotions. In Andal’s Tiruppavai and Nachiyar
Tirumozhi, jasmine takes on a devotional hue—Andal speaks of wearing fresh
garlands of malligai to offer to Lord Vishnu, representing a union of love and
divine surrender. The act of adorning herself with jasmine becomes both an
expression of beauty and a sacred ritual of devotion.
In Telugu poetry, jasmine (known
as Mallepoovu) is a recurring image in Padakavita and devotional songs. It
often symbolizes purity and auspiciousness, its fragrance likened to divine
grace. Poets like Annamacharya used the imagery of jasmine garlands in compositions
praising Lord Venkateswara, where the flower represents the devotee’s pure
offering to the divine.
Moving northward, in Hindi and
Marathi traditions, jasmine—Chameli or Mogra—appears in bhajans and sufi poetry,
its scent symbolizing the soul’s yearning for union with the eternal. The white
blossoms become metaphors for simplicity and surrender before God.
From temples to tresses, jasmine
has woven itself into India’s cultural and poetic consciousness. Whether as
Andal’s offering to Vishnu or a lover’s adornment in Sangam verse, jasmine
continues to bloom in literature as an everlasting emblem of beauty, devotion,
and divine fragrance.
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