This is a small
bushy annual belonging to the family of Amaranthaceae
. It is a native of India and widely grown for its
ornamental vivid coloured flower. The name is
believed to be a derivative of a greek word which
means "round and painted" alluding to the
shape and colour of this plant.
The flower heads
are papery in texture and can stay for a long time
without water in garlands or decorative arrangements.
Purple, pink, white, orange and yellow are the common
colours.
Gardening
The plants are
hardy and bushy growing up to a height of 25-40 cm.
They can be planted in pots or beds in direct
sunlight and need profuse and regular watering.
For good results
use red soil mixed with well-decayed farm manure,
leaf mould and sand. Pinch off the initial buds to
allow a bushy growth and remove dead and old flowers
periodically.
The plants are
propagated by seeds. A distance of 20 cms in between
is advisable.
The meaning of
Immortality
Here are some
beautiful quotations from Sri Aurobindo and The
Mother on the true meaning of Immortality.
"Immortality
is not the survival of the mental personality
after death, though that also is true, but the
waking possession of the unborn and deathless
self of which body is only an instrument and a
shadow."
*
"The body
can survive indefinitely only if, in the first
place, it becomes fully conscious of this
immortal self and unites with it, identifies with
it to the extent of having the same capacity, the
same faculty of constant transformation which
would enable it to follow the universal movement."
-
Sri Aurobindo
"Immortality
is not a goal, it is not even a means. It will
proceed naturally from the fact of living the
Truth."
-The
Mother
