NIGHT BLOOMING

NIGHT BLOOMING JASMINE

LATIN NAME: CESTRUM NOCTURNUM

HOMELAND: INDIA

QUEEN OF THE NIGHT

Known for the scent of its flowers only at night, night blooming jasmine is known in its homeland of West India as Raat Ki Rani, which means the queen of the night. Although it is a sacred flower special to the gods, which has been the subject of one of the most meaningful stories of Hindu mythology, it is a flower that is not generally preferred in the gardens of houses where traditional lives are lived, as it is believed to attract snakes.

The night blooming jasmine, known as Parijat in the Mahabarata Epics of Hindu mythology, is described as one of the most special flowers of Indra's gardens for the gods in the sky. The night blooming jasmine took its place in Indra's gardens at the end of a sad love story between Princess Parijat, who is actually a human, and Surya, the Sun God. According to the story, Princess Parijat and the Sun God Surya fall in love with each other. Surya, who lived with Princess Parijat on Earth for a while, had to go up to the sky one day and Princess Parijat, who insisted on following him, was burned to death. Saddened by this, Surya transformed Parijat into a flower and planted it in Indra's gardens. Not wanting the other gods to see him sad, Surya only visits her lost love Parijat at night. Princess Parijat, who has turned into a flower, only smells at night for her great love Surya.

With this story, the night blooming jasmine was accepted as the only flower that could be presented to the gods in Hinduism and became the most important ornamental plant of Hindu temples. At the same time, it is believed that the incense of night blooming jasmine burned in Hindu worship rituals, can connect with incarnated lives in the past, according to Hindu beliefs.

In the Philippines, the night blooming jasmine is the protagonist of the "Dama de Noche" story about the sad love story of Datu and Dama. According to the story, Datu, who is very rich and handsome, and Dama, who is poor but very beautiful, love each other and get married. Datu and Dama, who live a happy life, have a fight one day, and the beautiful Dama, who cannot stand the sadness of this fight, falls ill and dies. Datu, who did not remarry after Dama's death, comes home one night and realizes that the house smells as if his dead wife Dama was inside the house. Realizing that the scent is actually coming from outside the house, Datu follows the scent. The scent takes Datu to the tomb of the beautiful Dama, Datu sees that the scent comes from a unknown flower that has sprouted on Dama's tomb. Datu takes the flower from Dama's grave and plants it in the garden of the house. This flower gives fragrance only at night when Datu is at home. This flower was brought to Europe by the Spaniards in the 16th century and spread under the name "Dama de Noche" meaning "lady of the night".

Used as both incense and tea in Ayurveda, the night blooming jasmine is described as the flower from which Kisin (Cizin), the god of death and earthquake, was born in Maya mythology. It is known to be of both incense and one of the ingredients used in the production legendary ayahuasca tea in necromania rituals held in Mayan temples to communicate with the dead.

Night blooming jasmine is also used as incense and tea in the rituals of the Naha Indians, who live in isolation in the Lacandon forests of Mexico's Chiapas Region, which are thought to have lived a life close to the Mayans.