Ready to harvest in two to three months after planting, this beautiful flower (usually harvested as a bud) blooms in a nutrient rich loamy soil. Though widely known for the serene beauty of its flowers, people also cultivate this plant for consumption. The seeds, leaves, stem and flowers are consumed by people in different parts of the world.  

The lotus plant also shows high potential for usage in wastewater treatment removing polluting compounds and heavy metals. It is able to grow in variable water conditions and in low light intensity.

The lotus flower has high cultural and religious significance too.

It symbolizes the realization of inner potential and in Tantric and Yogic traditions the lotus symbolizes the potential of an individual to harness the flow of energy moving through the chakras ( often depicted as wheel like lotus) flowering as the thousand -petaled lotus of enlightenment at the top of the skull.

The lotus plant is cited extensively within Puranic and Vedic literature:

One who performs his duty, Without attachment,
Surrendering the results, To the supreme Divine,
Remain unaffected by sin,
As the Lotus is untouched by water.

—Bhagavad Gita

In Chinese culture, Confucian scholar Zhou Dunyi wrote: “I love the lotus because while growing from mud, it is unstained.”

The Bible information on the lotus plant is : It grows in marshes and streams and the plant grows large enough to cover and conceal the behemoth.

In the Egyptian civilization, this plant is known to be associated with rebirth. This is a consequence of it supposedly retracting into the water at the night, and emerging afresh in the Sun the next day. The Egyptians therefore associated the lotus flower with the sun which also disappeared in the night, only to reemerge in the morning. Therefore the lotus came to symbolize the Sun and the creation.

In Buddhism the lotus is known to be associated with purity, spiritual awakening and faithfulness. The flower is considered pure as it is able to emerge from murky waters in the morning and be perfectly clean. Therefore in common with Egyptian mythology the lotus is seen as a sign of rebirth, but additionally it is associated with purity.

In Hinduism , the lotus flower is associated with beauty, fertility, prosperity, spirituality, and eternity. As a lotus is able to emerge from Muddy Waters un-spoilt and pure it is considered to represent a wise and spiritually enlightened quality in a person; it is representative of somebody who carries out their tasks with little concern for any reward and with a full liberation from attachment.

The unopened bud is representative of a folded soul that has the ability to unfold and open itself up to the divine truth.

To sum up, lotus is one of the few flowers that has fascinated mankind from time immemorial, with its exotic and mysterious beauty. Lotus also inspires the human mind to achieve perfection, even in the adversities of life.

The Lotus Blooms

When, there is a need to revive,
exalt and cultivate intelligence,
The Lotus Blooms.

When, pollutants are abundant,
And the pond is in danger,
The Lotus Blooms.

When, cleansing and regenerating,
Becomes the need of the hour,
The Lotus Blooms.

When it is time to awaken the soul,
And claim the power within,
The Lotus Blooms.

May the lotus always bloom.

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