Jasmine - Queen of The Night

Jasmine - Queen of The Night
By Anand Kumar Akunuri

I remember a rather trivial incident several years ago which yet

relates to the topic in question. It was a hot summer's evening;

the twilight was already setting in as I was travelling home in

a heavily crowded bus. The crowd in the bus made it hotter and

more humid with their exhalations, rendering the air heavy with

the stench of sweat and awful body odour. With every one

perspiring acutely the odour was quite oppressing and

unbearable. The bus moved on at a snail's pace with more and

more people struggling to find their way in at each stop. It was

truly stressful as the malodour assailed our nostrils with a

vengeful disposition. I was wondering if I should alight at the

next stop and walk home, as it was impossible to stand the

miasma any longer. Before I could decide however, the bus

stopped at the next stop. Luckily here a significant part of the

crowd alighted and were replaced by only a few new passengers. I

then decided to stay put.

It was at this point, that a sudden whiff of fragrant fresh

Jasmines filled the bus and everyone gasped in relief. I

discovered that a few women who had boarded the vehicle here

were each wearing a small bunch of fresh Jasmine flowers in her

hair. The change in the air could be felt with a pleasant

difference as the perfume of the flowers permeated all over the

bus alleviating us with sense of deliverance. The persistent

fetor quickly vanished even as I wondered at the cleansing

potent of these heavenly flowers. In my mind I secretly blessed

the women who brought about such a change in the air though they

were themselves ignorant of the relief they brought in with the

wonderful flowers they wore that evening.

Come summer and the late evening air is rent with a pleasant

redolence of the divine Jasmines in the neighbourhood. A walk in

the colony is enrapturing as the flowering plants nurtured

carefully in many houses put up their blossoms for display each

competing with the other in proffering the best fragrance and

imbuing our senses with subtle delight. And when the moon shows

up in the sky, the flowers somehow seem to further enrich their

perfume. It is probably the combination of the moon and the

delicate Jasmines that had charmed men for ages into their most

romantic selves and aptly christen the exalted flower as the

'Queen of the Night.' For the flowers are at their best only in

the night; an attribute that only a few other flowers probably

share.

What is it about this little flower that makes heads turn? How

is it that this tender blossom becomes the 'queen of the night?'

What is it in these flowers that mesmerises men and women alike?

Bearing little beauty in itself unlike the reginal rose or the

consummate lotus or even a plain marigold, it is too small and

rather insignificant in its looks. Or is it? In its isolation

perhaps it may be quite unpretentious too; but in its

multiplicity it commands traits that beat the best of the

flowers in every attribute. A whiff is all it takes to change

even the worst moods into sober and soothing spirits. The

flowers have a strangely mystical power to induce a sense of

gladness. There's something in them that brings about a sense of

calmness and relaxation when sniffed and felt. It is but natural

that though thousands of years have passed since the little

wonder was discovered, its allure only keeps pervading across

newer horizons. It is rare for a lady wearing Jasmines to be

unnoticed. The flowers have a strange and wonderful attribute in

that, that they also enhance the beauty of a lady bringing in a

certain charm and delicateness into her persona.

Jasminum Sambac as the divine Jasmine is scientifically named,

since time immemorial has been an intrinsic part of the cultures

of several Asian countries. Though believed to be of an Arabian

origin it has been actually sourced to the South Asian region.

While it is the national flower of Philippines, Indonesia and

Pakistan, it plays the role of the most important flower of even

the distant Hawaiian Islands across the Pacific. Now the flower

has found its place in Europe, Australia, Africa and even the

Americas. The flowers are now a major source of commercial

perfume extraction, and they find their way into Jasmine oil,

Jasmine spray and for consumption in China as Jasmine tea.

In India, especially the south, no celebration is complete

without these flowers. For traditional weddings every girl

adorns herself beautifully with these flowers. In fact it is an

unwritten norm that women wear silk sarees and beautify their

hair with long clusters of woven Jasmines when attending

weddings. The bride herself is impeccably adorned with these

lovely flowers and made seated in the wedding gazebo. The

flowers inevitably find their way on to the celestial bed

without the presence of which, it is believed the ceremony is

incomplete. It is perhaps true that Jasmines have aphrodisiac

capabilities, for their use in marriage rituals is so

inescapable. There is almost an anthomaniacal fervour attached

to these magical blooms so much so that in rich wedding

celebrations, the aisles are strewn with these flowers and

guests showered with them rendering the air with euphoric

delight.

Jasmines for centuries have exhorted beauty, purity, grace, and

tenderness that remains nonpareil and will continue to inspire

multitudes, for all it takes is a whiff of their blithesome

perfume to imbue our senses with inexplicable rapturous ecstasy.

The hallowed Jasmine in its timeless fragrant exuberance and

acclaimed for its myriad virtues is thence truly 'The Queen of

the Night!'

My name is Anand Kumar, from Hyderabad, India. Writing has been

my chief strength and I have written content for several

companies and individuals. I run an agency by name Writers Guild

of Hyderabad. I have outstanding writing skills and can produce

the very best on a repertoire of topics. I will be able to help

anyone authoring books as their ghost writer. I'm also well

versed in rhyme and poetry writing.

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