On World Environment Day, Uttarakhand Police shared with the hill-folks an endearing picture of its rare, legendary and mythological flower of Uttarakhand, the Brahma Kamal with magnificent long leaves from 12 to 15 inches long, and the flower deep green, wrinkled above and silvery below.
Sharing exclusive pictures of the flowers in bloom with Newspost, from the highest plant nursery located at Nandi Base Camp, inside the Kedarnath Police Station. The 6 mtr by 8 mtr enclosure has borne fruite and an elated police team of the Kedarnath police station headed by Sub Inspector Bipin Chandra Pathak says: “Few weeks back Chief Secretary had especially visited us when he heard about the Brahm Vatika and had promised to return when the flowers would bloom. Last year only 7 odd flowers bloomed. But this year we have some 30-40 flowers blooming, it’s a delight to see them and I hope CS sir as well as our H’onble Chief Minister and DGP sir will come to visit and see these flowers as well.”
The Brahmakamals or saussurea obvallata in Latin is also the most engendered species of flowers along the pilgrimage route as the flowers are plucked for offerings at the shrines.
The legendary Brahma Kamal finds mention in legend where Draupadi is supposed to have asked Bhim to get her some of the pollen from the plant, which is supposed to give eternal youth.
The Brahma Vatika, as the nursery is named came into existence in 2015, it has around 180-200 plants of the Brahma Kamal growing in a small enclosure. Three years of love and tender care has gone into coaxing these finicky plants, once on the very edge of extinction, to bloom again.
It has proved to be an instant hit with tourists, visitors and pilgrims pouring in from the far-flung corners of the world. It gives them all a chance to see this almost mythical plant from such close quarters. Dhruv Patel from Gujarat, in Kedarnath on a pilgrimage sums it up best: “These flowers are a feast for the eyes and a treat for the soul. All credit goes to these brave hearts for bringing these plants from 14000 feet, planting them and defying all odds to grow them here.”
