Hindu flower traditions
Lotus, marigold, jasmine, hibiscus and the flowers each deity is offered.
JasmineJasminum
A group of fragrant shrubs and vines with white or yellow star-shaped flowers
🇵🇰 Pakistan and 7 more · Wildflower
Sacred lotusNelumbo nucifera
The pink aquatic flower sacred in Asia and grown for food, worship and beauty
🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Water flower
Hibiscus
A tropical genus with large, colourful trumpet-shaped flowers
🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Wildflower
Bay laurelLaurus nobilis
Evergreen tree with aromatic leaves used as bay leaf in cooking
🇬🇷 Greece and 9 more · Flowering tree
Datura
A group of trumpet-shaped, highly toxic flowering plants in the nightshade family
🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower
BaelAegle marmelos
A spiny tree with fragrant yellow-green flowers and hard-shelled aromatic fruit
🇮🇳 India and 6 more · Flowering tree
LotusNelumbo
Aquatic plants with large, round leaves and striking flowers called lotus
🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Water flower
Plumeria
Fragrant tropical tree with waxy, five-petaled flowers in many colours
🇲🇽 Mexico and 6 more · Flowering tree
Calendula
Golden daisy-like flowers used in food, dye, and rituals
Calendula · Wildflower
Holy basilOcimum tenuiflorum
A fragrant herb central to Hindu worship and Southeast Asian cooking
🇲🇲 Myanmar and 6 more · Herb or useful flower
Yellow oleanderCascabela thevetia
A tropical shrub with funnel-shaped yellow flowers and toxic seeds
🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 more · Flowering shrub
Pride of IndiaLagerstroemia speciosa
A tree with showy pink to purple flowers, grown across South and Southeast Asia
🇮🇳 India and 6 more · Flowering tree
KadambaNeolamarckia cadamba
A tropical tree with fragrant orange globe-shaped flowers from South and Southeast Asia
🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Flowering tree
Yellow ʻilimaSida fallax
A golden-yellow flower woven into Hawaiian and Pacific Island garlands
🇰🇮 Kiribati and 2 more · Wildflower
Wild Himalayan CherryPrunus cerasoides
A cherry tree with pinkish white blossoms from the Himalayas and Southeast Asia
🇮🇳 India and 5 more · Flowering tree
Flame of the forestButea monosperma
A tree with vivid orange-red flowers, sacred in Hindu and Buddhist traditions
🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Flowering tree
Nyctanthes arbor-tristisपारिजात
A fragrant night-flowering shrub with white and orange blossoms
🇮🇳 India and 5 more · Wildflower
Fragrant screw-pinePandanus odorifer
A small tropical tree with sweet-scented flowers used for perfume and rituals
🇮🇳 India and 4 more · Flowering tree
ChampakMagnolia champaca
A tall tree with fragrant yellow to orange flowers, prized in South and Southeast Asia
🇲🇲 Myanmar and 7 more · Flowering tree
Golden showerCassia fistula
A tree with long clusters of bright yellow flowers in late spring and early summer
🇮🇳 India and 6 more · Flowering tree
Star jasmineJasminum multiflorum
A white, scentless jasmine used in Indian weddings and worship
🇮🇳 India and 6 more · Wildflower
Crown flowerCalotropis gigantea
A tall shrub with waxy white or lavender flowers and milky sap
🇮🇳 India and 8 more · Flowering shrub
Butterfly peaClitoria ternatea
A climbing herb with vivid blue flowers used for dye, tea and soil improvement
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 8 more · Climber
Calotropis
A wild and weedy flowering plant with milky sap and fragrant blooms
🇮🇳 India and 1 more · Wildflower
Bayur treePterospermum acerifolium
A tall Southeast Asian tree with large fragrant white flowers and dinner-plate leaves
🇲🇲 Myanmar and 2 more · Flowering tree
MahuaMadhuca longifolia
A tropical tree with sweet edible flowers and oil-rich seeds
🇮🇳 India and 4 more · Flowering tree
Datura metelधतूरा
A shrubby plant with trumpet-shaped flowers, grown for ornament and tradition
🇮🇳 India and 4 more · Garden flower
Arabian jasmineJasminum sambac
A small white jasmine with a strong, sweet scent, treasured in Asia for garlands and ceremonies
🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Flowering shrub
Ixora
Tropical evergreen shrubs with clusters of small, bright flowers
🇮🇳 India and 4 more · Garden flower
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Champak: Francisco Manuel Blanco (O.S.A.), Public domain, source
- Plumeria: Renesis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bay laurel: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, source
- Bael: Asit K. Ghosh Thaumaturgist, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Jasmine: HelenOnline, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Star jasmine: Atamari, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hibiscus: Marshman at en.wikipedia / Eric Guinther, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Datura: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lotus: Peripitus, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Calendula: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Crown flower: Aris riyanto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Butterfly pea: Suyash Dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Calotropis: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Bayur tree: J.M.Garg, CC BY 3.0, source
- Mahua: Nvvchar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Datura metel: Don McCulley, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Holy basil: Shashidhara halady, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Arabian jasmine: Taken by Fanghong, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sacred lotus: T.Voekler, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ixora: Wilfredor, CC0, source
- Yellow oleander: Anshik Kumar Tiwari, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pride of India: The original uploader was Lokenrc at English Wikipedia ., CC BY 2.5, source
- Kadamba: This work was made by Tushar Hossain and released under the license(s), CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Yellow ʻilima: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Wild Himalayan Cherry: Patcharapapats, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Flame of the forest: SumaTagadur 05:01, 28 March 2007 (UTC), CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Nyctanthes arbor-tristis: J.M.Garg, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fragrant screw-pine: Wibowo Djatmiko ( Wie146 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Golden shower: Delonix, CC BY-SA 3.0, source