Jasmine

Have you visited India?

Not these days of course!

If you have visited India, especially South India, you would have come across most of the ladies wearing flowers on their hair.

The Indian women, especially those from the Southern State of Tamil Nadu, wear the flowers on their hair without fail, every day.

They fasten a string of jasmine flowers to their hair as shown in the above photograph.

In South India, jasmine is a way of life and flower art is inseparable from the worship of Gods.

You must be wondering why it’s so?

I shall explain.

Every morning, the women religiously put on the flower strands on their head after a bath.
These flower strands make the women look beautiful (Indians feel that way, and I am not sure, how the westerners feel about wearing a flower on the hair).
Flowers are a symbol of love, good luck, happiness, and prosperity.
In an Indian household, a girl is supposed to wear flowers on her hair because it brings happiness to the family and prosperity to all the members.
Wearing flowers on the hair is the symbol that Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth) is residing in the house and that wealth will never leave the house.
Jasmine, Rose, and Hibiscus are common, jasmine being the favourite
Many Hindu Goddesses are shown wearing garlands of jasmine and these flowers are used to honour Gods & Goddesses.
The white petal of Jasmine is symbolic of purity and forgiveness and flowers are offered to the Deity
Flowers remain an integral part of Hinduism.

What about flower garlands?

“To have ideas is to gather flowers. To think is to weave them into garlands” Anne Sophie Swetchine

Flower garlands are not only used to decorate Gods, individuals but also used to decorate the entrance point of houses.

Any initiation of new activity whether it’s house construction or purchase of a new vehicle or starting a new business is graced with flower garlands.