white lotus

For the longest time that I can remember, i've only had the common pink lotus. In fact, I have to confess to being somewhat ignorant as I never knew that lotus, like water-lilies, come in a variety of colours. So it came as a surprise when I stumbled upon a pot of white lotus at World Farm several years ago. Unfortunately, my friend (who was plant-shopping for his new home) beat me to it by purchasing the one and only pot, so I had to settle for second best, which was really to wait for his plant to flower and produce seed.

Of course, that never happened. Don't get me wrong. The lotus did bloom, but my friend was none the wiser and claimed that did not know to collect the seeds for me. Eventually, the lotus died under his lack of care, and with it, all hopes of me ever finding another white lotus. (but to be honest, I didn't really try hard enough)

A couple of months ago, I spotted a pot of white lotus sitting in a pot outside my French neighbour's house. He told me that he got it from a lotus farm opposite farm-mart. Not long after, his lotus flowered and I managed thereafter to collect some seeds from the lotus pod. I wasted no time in sowing them in a large dragon pot and in a matter of weeks, the first bloom emerged.

There is something very sacred-like and pure about the white lotus. Its petals, when looked at under bright sunlight, seem almost translucent, like pure white linen, glistening in the sun. It also has a slight scent which to me, accentuates the sense of purity and lightness of being. Very ethereal and mystical.

the lotus - much more than a flower

The Nelumbo nucifera or the sacred lotus is to my mind, one of the most beautiful flowers in the world. It may not be as exotic as say, the flower of the cannonball tree or as flamboyant as the flowers of the Curcuma or Heliconia, but there is something about it which makes it very stunning and alluring.

The beauty of the lotus lies in its simplicity. The flowers in particular, exude a sense of purity and well-being. This explains why the lotus is considered sacred to many people and regarded as one of the world's most celebrated and revered flowers. From time immemorial to the present day, it has always been in folklore, religion and the arts and literature in one form or the other. It has great religious significance and many symbolic meanings in both Buddhism and Hinduism.

In Buddhism, the lotus is symbolic of perpetual life while for the Hindus, it is symbolic of all that is good and beautiful. Fertility and rebirth are other symbols which have been ascribed to the flower. Incidentally, it is also the national flower of India and Vietnam. Such is the enduring power of the lotus. As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, or in this case, the photos taken below.