Chrysanthemums Day Out

Traveling recently in a cold winter evening brought me to an exhibition being organized to display beautiful Chrysanthemum flowers from all over India. The beauty of the displayed flowers and the cultural significance associated with them could simply not be ignored. Therefore, I dedicate this edition of Delhi-iteful Tuesdays to these Flowers who enhanced the beauty of the city of Delhi that evening.

Pink Chrysanthemum in full bloom

Chrysanthemum flowers belong to the genus (Chrysanthemum) constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants (plants which have a life of more than 2 years) in the family 'Asteraceae' which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe. The name Chrysanthemum is derived from the Greek words, chrysos (gold) and anthos (flower), along with the name the Chinese initially gave to the flower,mums.

Sea of Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC. The plant is renowned as one of the Four Gentlemen in Chinese and East Asian art. The plant is particularly significant during the Double Ninth Festival.

Different varieties of the flower present at the exhibition have been shown as follows -

It is believed that the flower may have been brought to Japan in the 8th century AD, and the Emperor adopted the flower as his official seal. There is a "Festival of Happiness" in Japan that celebrates the flower. The flower was brought to Europe in the 17th century.

The season of the Chrysanthemum flower is during Autumn. It is the official flower of the month of November.

This exhibition was being hosted by the Chrysanthemum Society of India.

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