I remember a rather trivial incident from several years ago that is still related to the subject at hand. It was a hot summer afternoon; twilight was already approaching as he rode home in a crowded bus. The crowd on the bus made it hotter and humid with their exhales, making the air heavy with the stench of sweat and a terrible body odor. With everyone sweating heavily, the smell was quite oppressive and unbearable. The bus was moving at a snail’s pace with more and more people struggling to find their way at each stop. It was really stressful as the bad smell assaulted our nostrils with a vindictive disposition. I was wondering if I should get off at the next stop and walk home, as the miasma was impossible to bear any longer. However, before I could make up my mind, the bus pulled into the next stop. Fortunately, here a significant part of the crowd got out and was replaced by only a few new passengers. So I decided to stay.
It was at this point that a sudden puff of fresh fragrant jasmine filled the bus and everyone gasped in relief. I discovered that some women who had gotten into the vehicle here were wearing a small bouquet of fresh jasmine flowers in their hair. The change in the air could be felt with a pleasant difference as the perfume of the flowers permeated the entire bus relieving us with a sense of liberation. The lingering fetor quickly faded even as I wondered about the potent cleanser of these heavenly flowers. In my mind, I secretly blessed the women who caused such a change in the air, even though they themselves were unaware of the relief they brought with the wonderful flowers they wore that night.
Summer is coming and the evening air is filled with a pleasant fragrance of the divine neighborhood jasmine. A walk through the colony is fascinating, as the carefully grown flowering plants in many houses put their flowers on display, competing with each other to deliver the best fragrance and imbue our senses with subtle delight. And when the moon appears in the sky, the flowers somehow seem to further enrich its perfume. It is probably the combination of the moon and the delicate jasmine that has captivated men for centuries to become their most romantic beings and aptly baptize the exalted flower as the ‘Queen of the Night’. Because flowers are at their best only at night; an attribute that probably only a few other flowers share.
What is it about this little flower that makes heads turn? How is it that this tender flower becomes the ‘queen of the night’? What is it about these flowers that mesmerizes men and women alike? Having little beauty in itself, unlike the reginal rose or the consummate lotus or even a simple marigold, it is too small and quite insignificant in appearance. Or is that it? In his isolation he may also be quite modest; but in its multiplicity it dominates traits that surpass the best of flowers in each attribute. One breath is all it takes to change even the worst moods into sober, relaxing spirits. Flowers have a strangely mystical power to induce a sense of joy. There is something about them that produces a feeling of calm and relaxation when they are smelled and felt. It is natural that, although thousands of years have passed since the little wonder was discovered, its appeal does not stop invading new horizons. It’s rare for a lady with jasmine to go unnoticed. Flowers have a strange and wonderful attribute, which also enhance the beauty of a lady giving a certain charm and delicacy to her person.
Jasminum Sambac as the divine jasmine is scientifically named, since time immemorial it has been an intrinsic part of the cultures of various Asian countries. Although it is believed to be of Arab origin, it has actually originated from the South Asian region. While it is the national flower of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Pakistan, it plays the role of the most important flower even in the distant Hawaiian islands of the Pacific. Now the flower has found its place in Europe, Australia, Africa, and even America. Flowers are now a major source of commercial perfume extraction, finding their way into jasmine oil, jasmine spray, and for consumption in China as jasmine tea.
In India, especially in the south, no celebration is complete without these flowers. For traditional weddings, each girl is beautifully adorned with these flowers. In fact, it is an unwritten rule for women to wear silk saris and beautify their hair with long bunches of woven jasmine when attending weddings. The bride herself is immaculately adorned with these beautiful flowers and is done sitting in the wedding gazebo. Flowers inevitably find their way to the heavenly bed without whose presence the ceremony is believed to be incomplete. Perhaps it is true that jasmine has aphrodisiac abilities, since its use in marriage rituals is so inescapable. There is an almost antomaniac fervor attached to these magical flowers, so much so that at rich wedding celebrations the aisles are filled with these flowers and guests bathe in them making the air a euphoric delight.
Jasmine for centuries have exhorted beauty, purity, grace and tenderness that remains unsurpassed and will continue to inspire crowds as all it takes is a breath of their joyous perfume to infuse our senses with an inexplicable ravishing ecstasy. . Jasmine sanctified in its timeless fragrant exuberance and acclaimed for its countless virtues is truly ‘The Queen of the Night!’