The first Gulmohar tree I ever saw stood near a bridge.............There was also a Manchadi and for so many years I thought both flowers and seeds came from the same tree.
As kids we would wait for someone to take us there.............We would make big yellow nails with the flowers and play with the manchadi seeds!
The beauty of this flower is unexplainable.
......... By the time school reopens all those trees on the road side would be in full bloom and it would look like a long red carpet rolled out.
There was a Gulmohar tree at our school also. I can only laugh remembering how we were caught running in the rain collecting those flowers.
The Gulmohar flowers gives me the feeling of coming back home after the long holidays, to embrace everything I had left behind.
Those flame-bright flowers always bring with them the sweet smell of soil after the monsoon rain, the smell of new books, school bag and uniform.
For me Gulmohar has been a symbol of all the resolutions I made for the new year ...
The resolutions were however soon forgotten; long before the flowers wilted.
[...] Go here to see the original: Gulmohar and Me ! [...]
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this, having just learned of the tree for the first time on a silly online game called Farmville. That lead me to other posts you have. All very nice!
ReplyDeleteI live in San Antonio, Texas
Thank you Nancy :-D
ReplyDeleteGulmohar is a common tree in India. But even then the beautiful flowers make it very special.
It seems you are a keralite.Indeed both gulmohar flowers and manchadi seeds were once favorite playing tools for kids.Now computer games and other stuffs have sophisticated kids world.Flowers,soil,old family games,etc are just vanishing from our culture.Well nice post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nithin! Except at Guruvayoor now it is very difficult to find a manchadi . Yes , there were so many games we used to play . Now I don't any kids playing those . :-)
ReplyDeleteAs for me, Gulmohur reminds me of my very first short story 'The girl' in which it played a role :)
ReplyDeleteNice write up.
Thanks Sail ! Hurrying to your blog to read the story :) I would love to know how this beautiful tree has influenced others .
ReplyDeleteGulmohar is one of my favourites... It always fascinated me to see the tree full of bright red flowers as if its on fire. The individual tiny leaves looked very cute. Thanks for reminding about my favourite Gulmohar, which, I feel symbolises survival instinct...
ReplyDeleteYou should take up writing Niveditha :D
ReplyDelete