Corona took its time in arriving. Despite the occurrence of first death in India on January 30th, the scare did not reach Kolkata till the middle of March. This allowed nature worshippers to enjoy the whole of early Vasant in its full glory and colourful manifestations. One knows not when shall we be able to roam freely inside parks and woods, and be one with nature again. Till then, let my memories serve you.
The deep red SEMUL usually announces the arrival of spring, closely followed by orange and yellow Palash and Rudrapalash.
(blog link for Palash & Rudrapalash- http://bit.ly/3cZZPj5 )
Golden Trumpet and Sita-Ashok follow close behind. Pink Trumpet and purple Jacaranda sprinkle their colours during late March.
(blog link for Pink Trumpet- https://bit.ly/3djqUh4 )
(blog link for Jacaranda- https://bit.ly/3alfaJ2 )
Crimson-red Gulmohar(Krishnachura), and yellow Radhachura herald the arrival of Summer and departure of spring. As I look down from my terrace in these days of eaely summer, I can spot purple Pride of India and yellow Amaltas in bloom.
(link to previous year’s early summer blog- http://bit.ly/2W6X86a)
It has been over a month of Lockdown now and perhaps the right occasion to look back at the photographs of Semul, Golden Trumpet and Sita Ashok clicked during the season.
Semul ,also called as Red-silk cotton tree or kapok is botanically Bombax Ceiba. In Sanskrit , it is called as Shalmali. It is an Asian tropical tree, having huge cup-shaped red or orange flowers with 5 petals. The young trunk has spikes to discourage animals from feeding upon it. It is a native of SE Asia, and holds some cultural significance in China.
Golden Trumpet, botanically Tabebuia aurea, is also called as Yellow tabebuia or Caribbean trumpet tree. The bark is silvery and trunk gets bifurcated into two or three main branches to form the crown. The leaves are slender and elongated. Its wood is soft and unfit for much commercial use.
Stray Golden Trumpet flowers start blooming from mid-February, but during the full bloom, all leaves are shed and the crown glows in bright yellow hues. Flowers keep falling all the time and the yellowed road below the tree is a marvellous sight to behold.
Sita Ashok is botanically Saraca Asoca. It is the tree under whose shade Sita passed her days and nights in the Ashok Vatika in Lanka. One of the five flowers in Kamdeva’s quiver is Sita Ashok’s (others being-White and blue lotus, jasmine and mango flowers). It is said that Sakyamuni Buddha was born under a Saraca Asoca tree in Lumbini.
Saraca Asoca has a beautiful ,lush foliage with fragrant flowers. They are orange-yellow in colour, and turn into red before wilting away. Flowers bloom in bright bunches, and fill their vicinity with sweet smell.
Summers shall be spent in the Lockdown. Winters might see a return of the Virus. Maybe we shall be able to mingle freely with each other only in the next spring.With the most colourful of pictures then ,we should take leave-
*SPRING BLOG of 2019 link – http://bit.ly/2TMCz22
** Late Spring Blog of 2019 link- http://bit.ly/2V3O2Xn
#semul #bombaxceiba #resilkcotton
#goldentrumpet #yellowtrumpet #tabebuiaaurea
#sitaashoka #saracaasoca #spring #SaltLake
#Bengal #Kolkata #floweringtressinsaltlake
#floweringtreesinkolkata
Abhinav Pancholi 