At the start of October, as dawn breaks, small white-and-orange flowers lie scattered beneath the trees and a sweet scent hangs in the air. When the shiuli blooms, writes Barta24's feature desk, autumn's arrival is unmistakable.
The shiuli, or night-flowering jasmine, opens at night and falls before daybreak, so mornings find countless white petals with orange stems spread over the green grass. The beauty of this small flower does not last long, and that brief life is what sets it apart.
Its scent is not strong, but when it spreads you know a shiuli is blooming somewhere nearby, and mixed with the cool morning air it makes the familiar feel of autumn. Many people remember gathering shiuli at dawn with a small basket as children and stringing them into garlands.
The shiuli is seen most from September to November, when the monsoon dampness eases, white clouds drift across the sky and the morning air turns slightly cool.
Beyond villages and small towns, fallen shiuli can still be found in cities, under trees in old courtyards, school grounds, parks and roadsides. But with fewer big trees and less open space, Barta24 writes, the flower has become something like a memory of the old days for many city dwellers.
Photo: JDP90 (Joydeep) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Barta24
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