With the coronavirus pandemic having waylaid all plans of the Durga Puja-Dusshera festivities, the circumstances have almost forced us to look beyond the clutter. To return to the slow life, where a change in season was heralded by natural phenomena and not man-made ones. Well, that is exactly what this post celebrates....
Shiuli (or night-flowering jasmine) flowers from the garden bring in the autumn vibes, along with the perceptible cooling of the mornings and evenings.
Each morning we are greeted by some of the flowers strewn on the ground, for they fall as soon as the sun rises. And then begins our ritual of gathering them all by shaking the tree vigorously, with newspapers spread underneath to collect the flower shower. The previous days' flowers are relegated to the compost pit while the fresh ones are stored in bowls, their typical sweet scent hanging in the air.
The month-long flowering of the Shiuli coincides with Durga Puja, and these flowers are considered choice offerings to the mother goddess.
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