The little flowers in this photograph belong to Holy Basil, commonly known in English as Tulsi. In our mother tongue, Urdu, it is widely known as Niaz Bo. In Arabic, it is commonly called Raihan, a word that refers to fragrance.
Niaz Bo
Though the reasoning behind this name is not officially documented; however, according to the local tales, Niaz means offering or pious gift and Bo is the word we use for fragrance. So Niaz Bo means the fragrance of devotion.
The Myth
There is a myth revolving around it for centuries. According to my mother, this flower has the power to eradicate anxiety and depression from the house. Like it removes the sadnesss from the house. Though, I do not believe in it at all. But, on some scientific basis, it is somewhat true.
More than a sight
This beautiful plant is more than a mere sight. For centuries people have appreciated it, for both its fragrance and traditional medicine uses. Now, when I got to know about the "traditional medicine uses" part; I knew where the myth is coming from. Some of its benefits are: supporting the immune system; help reducing oxidative stress and aroma is enough to soothe everyone.
Yet to Bloom
If you have ever seen a fully bloomed Niaz Bo; you will easily get it that it is yet in the phase. And being a student of literature, I cannot let pass the deeply concerned theories.
There is a message in literally everything. Let me try with this one as well.
We, human beings, often celebrate the ending. The fully bloomed flower, the successful career or the completed dream. Yet nature reminds us that the peocess itself deserves admiration. As their is a lyrical line from a song:
"Safar khoobsurat h Manzil se bhi (The journey is beautiful, perhaps more beautiful than the destination)".
Realistically speaking, the ending is genuinely beautiful. Because, in the end, we can take a eep breath and relax. However, no one can achieve that point without going through the processes. Just like this flower's blossoming, life is not a single moment; rather it is a journey. Every seed, every petal that slowly grows has already began its purpose even before reaching the point of perfection.
In this modern world, where everything is fast-paced, we try to figure out everything at the spot. But, the real growth takes time. Yes, there are few exceptions, but those exceptions, too, had a pathway to take. Growth, if you ask me, is gradual, almost invisible. These tiny blossoms are quietly but surely opening under the sunlight. Wish I could grow this way as well, these days sunlight is harassing me a lot. Hehehe 馃ゲ. Back to the point, these flowers are not in a hurry at all. They simply keep blooming. They all have independent journey to follow, yet they all are growing together. And, I suppose, this is the purpose of humanly life as well.
After all, every spectular bloom was once just a promise waiting patiently to surprise us.
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Peace 馃晩
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