{"id":8893,"date":"2020-07-12T21:33:13","date_gmt":"2020-07-12T16:03:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/?p=8893"},"modified":"2020-07-26T15:05:52","modified_gmt":"2020-07-26T09:35:52","slug":"amritapuri-a-bouquet-of-flowers-iv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/2020\/8893\/","title":{"rendered":"Amritapuri &#8211; A Bouquet of Flowers IV"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em><strong>Arati to Mother Nature: Hibiscus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"614\" src=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/01-premises-1024x614.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8881\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/01-premises.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/01-premises\/\" class=\"wp-image-8881\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/01-premises-1024x614.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/01-premises-450x270.jpg 450w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/01-premises-768x460.jpg 768w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/01-premises-500x300.jpg 500w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/01-premises-1000x600.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/01-premises.jpg 1176w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Hisbiscus around Amritapuri&#8217;s buildings&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Kali Mata resides in Amritapuri\u2019s main temple. And here Hibiscus flowers, her favorite, bloom in plenty; almost all the varieties you see on websites are here. However, Kali is offered bright red hibiscus, those of the color her tongue, or of blood that drips from the severed heads (egos) in her hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"753\" src=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/red-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8887\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/red-2.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/red-2-2\/\" class=\"wp-image-8887\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/red-2.jpg 600w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/red-2-239x300.jpg 239w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/red-2-500x628.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">For Mother Kali<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"853\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/IMG_4223-853x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8885\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/IMG_4223.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/img_4223\/\" class=\"wp-image-8885\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/IMG_4223-853x1024.jpg 853w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/IMG_4223-250x300.jpg 250w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/IMG_4223-768x922.jpg 768w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/IMG_4223-500x601.jpg 500w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/IMG_4223.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Common Pink Hibiscus<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The ancient deity has with her a great treasure of myths and legends in this ancient land. Amma gives us the spiritual meaning of her fierce form. Kali is the Protector Mother aspect of Brahman. She is merciless when she destroys all negativities inhibiting the sadhak from attaining Liberation. This, her devotees associate with blood, and the native hibiscus, called <em>Chembaratti<\/em> in <em>Malyalam<\/em>, <em>Japakusuma<\/em> in Samskritam, has the exact hue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, Amritapuri has a number of colors and sizes of hibiscus. Ashram residents take keen interest in growing these perennial flowers as they are used in worship. Hibiscus is a popular flower, so popular that you have an emoji of it; it conveys feelings deeper than a smiley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Walking among these plants after morning <em>archana<\/em> is a very soothing, healing activity. Nature communicates with you. When you pass by a pink or cream hibiscus, you feel the plant smiling at you through its soft flowers. A flower at the end of each of its slender twig! And you too smile invariably. The twig moves in breeze, and acknowledges your smile with a nod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/white-pink-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8888\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/white-pink-1.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/white-pink-1\/\" class=\"wp-image-8888\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/white-pink-1.jpg 900w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/white-pink-1-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/white-pink-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/white-pink-1-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">White with pink <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"778\" height=\"567\" src=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/yellow.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8892\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/yellow.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/yellow\/\" class=\"wp-image-8892\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/yellow.jpg 778w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/yellow-412x300.jpg 412w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/yellow-768x560.jpg 768w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/yellow-500x364.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 778px) 100vw, 778px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Yellow<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/purple-rare.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8891\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/purple-rare.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/purple-rare\/\" class=\"wp-image-8891\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/purple-rare.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/purple-rare-413x300.jpg 413w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/purple-rare-768x558.jpg 768w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/purple-rare-500x363.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Rare purple<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"872\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/pink-tinge-872x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8890\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/pink-tinge.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/pink-tinge\/\" class=\"wp-image-8890\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/pink-tinge-872x1024.jpg 872w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/pink-tinge-255x300.jpg 255w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/pink-tinge-768x902.jpg 768w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/pink-tinge-500x587.jpg 500w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/pink-tinge.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 872px) 100vw, 872px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">White with a delicate pink tinge<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The bowl-like shape of a multi colored hibiscus looked like a humble cup seeking downpour of blessings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An orange variety emerges from the plant looking straight at the sky above. As i was taking its picture, one western sister whispered in my ears, \u201cOh! This flower is doing Arati to Mother Nature! Look, Arati to the Sky!\u201d Yes! i looked and saw: the petals of the sturdy big flower made a perfect lamp, or the flame itself, and the central filament, the perfect wick!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"578\" src=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/02-arati-to-sky.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8882\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/02-arati-to-sky.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/02-arati-to-sky\/\" class=\"wp-image-8882\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/02-arati-to-sky.jpg 900w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/02-arati-to-sky-450x289.jpg 450w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/02-arati-to-sky-768x493.jpg 768w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/02-arati-to-sky-500x321.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">&#8220;Doing arati to the sky!&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>One of Amma\u2019s children drew my attention to the mild pink dash on her white hibiscus. &#8220;If one doesn\u2019t have love for flowers, one will never see this mild tinge,&#8221; she said emphatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A little girl showed me with her tender finger how the pink pentagon-shaped hibiscus had a silvery pink frill around it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A little boy was sprinting his way up to his mother in the bhajan hall; something soft touched his feet. He stopped suddenly, looked it was a hibiscus petal, picked it up and put it on a nearby table -so that no one else will stamp on it- and continued with his run!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"687\" src=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/girishji.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8883\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/girishji.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/girishji\/\" class=\"wp-image-8883\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/girishji.jpg 800w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/girishji-349x300.jpg 349w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/girishji-768x660.jpg 768w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/girishji-500x429.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Offered in pujas<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"733\" src=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/many-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8886\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/many-3.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/many-3\/\" class=\"wp-image-8886\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/many-3.jpg 800w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/many-3-327x300.jpg 327w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/many-3-768x704.jpg 768w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/many-3-500x458.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>How wonderfully these people relate to flowers! Is this the kind of heart that Amma wants all of us to develop, Hridayapushpa?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8212; By Sandhya<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"470\" src=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/orange-hibiscus-many.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8884\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/orange-hibiscus-many.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/orange-hibiscus-many\/\" class=\"wp-image-8884\" srcset=\"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/orange-hibiscus-many.jpg 800w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/orange-hibiscus-many-450x264.jpg 450w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/orange-hibiscus-many-768x451.jpg 768w, https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/files\/2020\/07\/orange-hibiscus-many-500x294.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Beautiful rare Amritapuri orange Hibiscus&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Arati to Mother Nature: Hibiscus Kali Mata resides in Amritapuri\u2019s main temple. And here Hibiscus flowers, her favorite, bloom in plenty; almost all the varieties you see on websites are here. However, Kali is offered bright red hibiscus, those of the color her tongue, or of blood that drips from the severed heads (egos) in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8893"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8893\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8916,"href":"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8893\/revisions\/8916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e.amritapuri.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}