Cousins of Chettippu: Humming Earth’s Poetry

“The flowers of our hearts have not yet blossomed. They are still tiny buds. However, if nurtured by faith in God, by love and compassion, and by adherence to the principles of Dharma, the buds of our hearts are bound to unfold. Revealing their beauty and spreading their fragrance, they become blessings to the world.”

~ May Your Hearts Blossom

Amma gave this call in Her maiden International Speech in 1993, in Chicago, at the Parliament of World Religions.

Flowers are symbolic of our hearts. At the same time, in our changed times, real external flowers also assume equal importance. We need to nurture both kinds of flowers. We humans are given forests. We have to make gardens as we live amidst this Nature, not deserts.

Amritapuri’s greenery is on the rise. Under Amma’s guidance Ashram residents, including school children, have taken to gardening intensely, growing veggies and flowers. Every corner, every turning, every landing, every passage, every veranda, every bit of available space is becoming part of the big garden. Many colorful flowers are seen. The developed varieties of Chettippu alone contribute to half of the beauty. Just the area around Dhyan Mandir or Amma’s Janmasthali displays more than half a dozen colors of modern Chettis.

While the traditional ones, mostly in white, red and yellow colors, have four petals and simple looks, the new varieties -shall i say their cousins?- display a range of features: five petals and glowing insides, and colors such as lavender, pink, magenta, cream in several different shades and combinations.

Poetry of the Earth is never dead. Chettippu contributes to this saga: even in rainy season when most flowers withdraw, Chettippu continues humming with Earth it’s eternal poetry, resonating with devotional songs.