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61-510: The precise form varies, but is intended to represent the opening flower of Nelumbo nucifera , the Indian lotus . In the traditional biographies lotus flowers sprung up at the Buddha 's first seven steps, and in some Buddhist legends the baby Padmasambhava emerged from a lotus flower. The Indian lotus is an aquatic plant similar to a water lily , though not actually any close relation. It has

122-639: A 3rd-century CE coin from Kausambi . A depiction of Gajalakshmi seated on a lotus is found in Cave 14 at Ellora . Temples in Odisha in the classic local Kalinga architecture style very often have a figure of Gajalakshmi in lalitasana as their lalatabimba or central protective image over the doorway to a temple or the sanctuary. One of the tympana at the Temple of Bantãy Srĕi in Siem Reap, Cambodia , has

183-585: A beautifully sculptured image of the Goddess Gajalakshmi in pink sandstone . Though over a thousand years old, this tympanum is in almost as good a state as it must have been when created. Gajalakshmi is worshipped in many places in Goa and Konkan as a fertility goddess, mostly under the names Gajantlakshmi , Gajalakshmi , Kelbai or Bhauka devi , by various Konkani communities as their tutelary deity. According to Timothy Taylor, there might be

244-764: A fast browning rate. Lotus root tea is consumed in Korea. Lotus root is a popular vegetable in Sri Lanka, where it is often cooked in coconut milk gravy. In India, lotus root (also known as kamala kakaṛī in Hindi ) is cooked as a dry curry or Sabzî . Japan is one of the primary users of the rhizomes, representing about 1% of all vegetables consumed. Japan grows its own lotus but still must import 18,000 tons of lotus rhizome each year, of which China provides 15,000 tons yearly. Rhizomes contain high amounts of starch (31.2%) without characteristic taste or odor. The texture

305-414: A group of flowers under different figures. But some images depict more of the plant. A famous relief of Gaja-Laxmi in Cave 16 at Ellora shows a pond of lotus leaves and budding flowers as a vertical panel below the throne. Other compositions show stalks, buds and flowers reaching up beside a main figure. These may terminate in a flower held by the main figure, especially if it is Avalokitesvara or from

366-678: A higher yield and higher quality rhizomes than seed or flower lotus cultivars. Furthermore, this group grows tall and produces few to no flowers. Cultivars can be classified by harvest time or by the depth of rhizomes into these types: The main popular Nelumbo nucifera cultivars in China are Elian 1, Elian 4, Elian 5, 9217, Xin 1, and 00–01. The average yield of these cultivars is 7.5–15 t/ha (3.3–6.7 tons/acre) of harvest in July and 30–45 t/ha (13–20 tons/acre) of harvest in September. In Australia,

427-429: A large, round, and flat seed head in the centre of the flower, with initially small openings above each of the relatively small number of seeds. Among other unusual characteristics, nelumbo nucifera has particular properties of repelling water, known as the lotus effect or ultrahydrophobicity . Among other symbolic meanings, it rises above the water environment it lives in, and is not contaminated by it, so providing

488-470: A lotus cornucopia in her right hand. There are two lions at her feet, two elephants bathing her with life giving waters, and two female attendants to her left and right side holding flywhisks. An image is found from the 2nd century BCE, possibly in Buddhist contexts, and appears on the railings from the Buddhist site of Bharhut , from 125-100 BCE. It appears on a 1st-century BCE coin of Azilises , and

549-515: A lotus growing from the navel of Vishnu . In art the form is first seen as a base for rare early images of Laxmi from the 2nd century BCE; many or most of these may have a Buddhist context. However it first becomes common with seated Buddha figures in the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara around the late 2nd or the 3rd century CE. It may have reached the Deccan as early as the end of

610-517: A model for Buddhists. According to the Pali Canon , the Buddha himself began this often-repeated metaphor, in the Aṅguttara Nikāya , saying that the lotus flower raises from the muddy water unstained, as he raises from this world, free from the defilements taught in the sutra . In Sanskrit the throne is called either a padmāsana ( Sanskrit : पद्मासन , [pɐdmaːsɐnɐ] , āsana

671-602: A part of branding strategy and to make it easier for voters, BJP started using lotus logo in black-and-white in most settings as Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in India only allow black-and-white logos. The rhizomes of lotus ( Chinese : 蓮藕 ; pinyin : lián-ǒu , Japanese : 蓮根 , romanized :  renkon , Korean : 연근 or 蓮根 , romanized :  yeongun , Hindi : कमल ककड़ी , romanized :  kamala kakaṛī , Sindhi Beeh, Telugu : అల్లిదుంప , romanized :  alli'dumpa ) are consumed as

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732-576: A sage's meditation, they retained a connection to the clouds, symbolising the nurturing power of rain essential for the growth of crops. Thus, the presence of elephants in conjunction with Lakshmi reinforces her role as a provider of fertility and abundance. Elephants have historically been associated with royalty in India, serving as symbols of power and majesty. Kings maintained stables of elephants for both ceremonial and military purposes, as they were integral to royal processions and were believed to influence rainfall and agricultural fertility. Consequently,

793-401: A stem also representing the world axis . Nelumbo nucifera Nelumbo nucifera , also known as Padma ( Sanskrit : पद्म, romanized : Padmā , lit.   'Lotus') or Kamala ( Sanskrit : कमल, lit. 'Lotus'), sacred lotus , Indian lotus , or simply lotus , is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae . It is sometimes colloquially called

854-417: A suitable stage for eating in approximately six to nine months. Early varieties are harvested in July until September and late varieties from October until March, after the ponds or fields are drained. The large, starch -rich rhizomes are easy to dig out of the drained soil. In small-scale production, they are harvested by hand using fork-like tools. In Japan and on bigger farms, manual labour harvesting

915-586: A vegetable in Asian countries, extensively in China, Japan, India, Pakistan ( Sindh ), sold whole or in cut pieces, fresh, frozen, or canned. They are fried or cooked mostly in soups, soaked in syrup or pickled in vinegar (with sugar, chili and garlic). Lotus rhizomes have a crunchy texture and are a classic dish at many banquets, where they are deep-fried, stir-fried, or stuffed with meats or preserved fruits. Salads with prawns , sesame oil or coriander leaves are also popular. Fresh lotus root slices are limited by

976-407: A water lily, though this more often refers to members of the family Nymphaeaceae . Lotus plants are adapted to grow in the flood plains of slow-moving rivers and delta areas. Stands of lotus drop hundreds of thousands of seeds every year to the bottom of the pond. While some sprout immediately and most are eaten by wildlife, the remaining seeds can remain dormant for an extensive period of time as

1037-509: Is 1.05–1.9 t/ha (0.5–0.8 tons/acre) of dry seeds and weight of thousand seeds between 1,020 and 1,800 g (36 and 63 oz). Green Jade and Vietnam-Red are recommended cultivars for seed production in Australia. Flower lotus cultivars are used exclusively for ornamental purpose , producing many flowers and the lowest plant height. The seed production of flower lotus is typically poor regarding yield and quality. Flower types differ in

1098-556: Is Wanlian. Also known as bowl lotus, wanlians are any miniature cultivars of N. nucifera sized between 5 and 8 centimetres (2.0 and 3.1 in). Bowl lotuses come in various colours and numbers of petals , and they bloom longer than other species of lotus. But together with the rhizome , their seeds are often too small or too hard to be edible. The sacred lotus may be crossed with the yellow lotus to produce interspecific hybrids . A few varieties have been produced with differing appearances. About 70% of lotus for human consumption

1159-504: Is about 30 cm (12 in). In colder climates, having a deeper water level protects the tubers more effectively, and overall is helpful for better growth and flowering . The sacred lotus germinates at temperatures above 13 °C (55 °F). Most varieties are not naturally cold-hardy, but may readily adapt to living outdoors year-round in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 11 (with some growers having success in zones as low as 4 or 5);

1220-679: Is comparable to a raw potato. The binding and disintegration properties of isolated Nelumbo starch have been compared with maize and potato starch; Nelumbo starch is shown to be superior as an adjuvant in the preparation of tablets . When dried, N. nucifera is also made into flour , another popular use of this vegetable. Lotus pip tea is consumed in Korea. Fresh lotus seeds ( simplified Chinese : 莲子 ; traditional Chinese : 蓮子 ; pinyin : liánzǐ ; Cantonese Yale : lìhnjí ) are nutritious but also vulnerable to microbial contamination , especially fungal infections. Therefore, mostly dry lotus seed-based products are found on

1281-518: Is consumed in China and Vietnam. Young lotus stems are used as a salad ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine and as a vegetable ingredient for some soup and curry in Thailand, such as keang som sai bua ( Thai : แกงส้มสายบัว , lotus stem sour soup) and keang kati sai bua ( แกงกะทิสายบัว , lotus stem in coconut milk curry). In northern and eastern regions of India, the stalk of the flower

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1342-502: Is eaten in autumn . The leaves impart a unique scent to the soft, moist rice. Gaja-Laxmi Gajalakshmi ( Sanskrit : गजलक्ष्मी , romanized :  Gajalakṣmī , lit.   'Elephant Lakshmi'), also spelt as Gajalaxmi , is a prominent representation of the goddess Lakshmi , the Hindu deity of wealth, prosperity, and fertility, depicted with two elephants on either side. This representation symbolises not only

1403-464: Is fully replaced by machines. Lotus varieties have been classified according to their use into three types: rhizome lotus, seed lotus, and flower lotus. Varieties that show more than one of these characteristics are classified by the strongest feature. Regarding production area in China, rhizome lotus has the largest area with 200,000 ha (490,000 acres), followed by seed lotus with 20,000 ha (49,000 acres). Rhizome lotus cultivars produce

1464-457: Is native to West Africa, including Nigeria and Cameroon, and thrives in slow-moving water. A fertilized lotus flower bears fruit that contains a cluster of 10 to 30 seeds. Each seed is ovoid 1–2.5 cm wide by 1–1.5 cm long with a brownish coat. Lotus seeds can remain viable after long periods of dormancy. In 1994, a seed from a sacred lotus, dated at roughly 1,300 years old ± 270 years, was successfully germinated . The traditional sacred lotus

1525-477: Is only distantly related to Nymphaea caerulea , but possesses similar chemistry. Both Nymphaea caerulea and Nelumbo nucifera contain the alkaloids nuciferine and aporphine . The genome of the sacred lotus was sequenced in May 2013. A dedicated genome database lists additional genome assemblies sequenced since then. The sacred lotus grows in water up to 2.5 m (8 ft) deep. The minimum water depth

1586-475: Is produced in China. In 2005, the cultivation area in China was estimated at 300,000 hectares (740,000 acres). A majority of lotus production takes place in managed farming systems in ponds or flooded fields like rice . The most widely used system is crop rotation with rice and vegetables . This system is applicable if the propagule (small piece of rhizome) can be planted early in the year. The rhizomes are harvested in July, after which rice can be planted in

1647-415: Is seen in the 1st century BCE terracotta plaque illustrated above. The Sanchi stone relief illustrated here shows a similar composition with Queen Maya, mother of the Buddha . Above or below the water, the stems may be supported by small naga figures. The lotus plant in lotus thrones is often imagined as growing out of the cosmic ocean , and a few images represent the plant below the water level, with

1708-563: Is the name for a seated position), which is also the name for the Lotus position in meditation and yoga , or padmapitha , padma meaning lotus and pitha a base or plinth. The earliest of the Vedas , the Rigveda , describes the other gods watching the birth of Agni , the god of fire, seated on lotus flowers; also the birth of Vasishtha . In Hindu myth, the major deity Brahma emerged from

1769-761: Is used as the main ingredient in dishes with coconut milk. The stems and petals can be bought in markets when in season. In China and Korea, lotus leaf tea ( Korean : 연잎차 , romanized :  yeon'ip-cha ) is made from the leaves of the lotus. It is also used as a wrap for steaming rice and sticky rice and other steamed dishes in Southeast Asian cuisine, such as lo mai gai in Chinese cuisine or kao hor bai bua ( Thai : ข้าวห่อใบบัว ), fried rice wrapped in lotus leaf in Thai cuisine. Vietnamese also use lotus leaves to wrap green young rice, cốm , which

1830-506: Is used to prepare a soup, kamala gaṭṭē kī sabzī ( Hindi : कमल गट्टे की सब्ज़ी ) and an appetizer, kamala kakaṛī pakauṛē ( Hindi : कमल ककड़ी पकौड़े ). In South Indian states, the lotus stem is sliced, marinated with salt to dry, and the dried slices are fried and used as a side dish. In Kerala ( Malayalam : താമര ) and Tamil Nadu , this end product is called thamara vathal . In the Philippines , an indigenous variety called tukal

1891-558: The mud 10–15 cm ( 3 + 7 ⁄ 8 – 5 + 7 ⁄ 8  in) below the soil surface . The stolon is ready to harvest two to three months after planting. It must be harvested before flowering. Harvesting the stolon is done by manual labor. For this step, the field is not drained. The stolon is pulled out of the water by pulling and shaking the young leaves in the shallow water. The first leaves and flowers can be harvested three months after planting. Flowers can be picked every two days during summer and every three days during

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1952-458: The 2nd century. At some point, probably around 200, and before his death in about 250, the Buddhist thinker Nagarjuna exhorted an unknown Buddhist monarch, very probably in the Deccan, to: ... Please construct from all precious substances Images of Buddha with fine proportions Well designed and sitting on lotuses ... – suggesting this iconography was current by then. It is not clear from

2013-401: The 5th or 6th century Vishnu, (both also having the epithet Padmapani, "lotus holder"), or in another lotus throne behind the hand, if it is outstretched in a mudra . Alternatively, stalks may climb up to support lotus thrones underneath minor, smaller, figures, as in the early terracotta plaque illustrated above, where stalks rise at the side to support the elephants lustrating Gaja-Laxmi. This

2074-548: The Buddha in most Buddhist temples. Lotus is also widely used in Varamala (hindu wedding garland). Lotus is the national flower of the Republic of India . Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) , the largest political party in the world with around 200 million active members, uses lotus as its party symbol. BJP, in the past, have used lotuses in multiple colors - pink,white,blue,red and saffron, in their party flag. In recent times, as

2135-585: The Chinese regard the plant as a symbol of longevity . It has a very wide native distribution, ranging from central and northern India (at altitudes up to 1,400 m or 4,600 ft in the southern Himalayas ), through northern Indochina and East Asia (north to the Amur region ; the Russian populations have sometimes been referred to as Nelumbo komarovii , with isolated locations at the Caspian Sea . Today,

2196-400: The actual plant. In historic sculpture there is very often a clear dividing line about halfway up; this type is called a "double-lotus" ( vishvapadma ) pedestal or throne. Most often petal shapes both rise and fall from the dividing line, but sometimes the upper part of the throne represents the prominent flat-topped seed head as a base for the figure, perhaps with circles for the holes holding

2257-502: The air temperature dropped to 10 °C (50 °F). They suspect the flowers may be doing this to attract cold-blooded insect pollinators . Studies published in the journals Nature and Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences in 1996 and 1998 were important contributions in the field of thermoregulation in plants. Two other species known to be able to regulate their temperature include Symplocarpus foetidus and Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum . The red tiger lotus

2318-444: The air; when kept underwater in soil, the energy-rich tubers can overwinter temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F). If the plants are taken out of the water for wintertime storage (mostly in exceptionally cold climates), the tubers and roots must be stored in a stable, frost-free location, such as a garage, preferably in a cardboard box or container filled completely with vermiculite or perlite . Care must be taken to fully insulate

2379-587: The closest relatives of Nelumbo include the sycamores ( Platanaceae ). The lotus roots are planted in pond or river bottom soil, while the leaves float on the water's surface or are held well above it. The leaf stalks (petioles) can be up to 200 cm (6 ft 7 in) long, allowing the plant to grow in water to that depth. The peltate leaf blade or lamina can have a horizontal spread of 1 m (3 ft 3 in). The leaves may be as large as 80 cm (31 in) in diameter. The flowers are usually found on thick stems rising several centimeters above

2440-403: The colder season. Four months after planting, the production of flowers has its climax. The harvest of flowers is usually done by hand for three to four months. Seeds and seed pods can be harvested when they turn black four to eight months after planting. After sun drying for two to three days, they are processed by mechanical tools to separate seed coats and embryos. The rhizomes mature to

2501-589: The cultivar grown for the fresh rhizome market in Guangdong and Japan , the common rhizome cultivars are Tenno and Bitchu. The characteristics of seed lotus cultivars are a large number of carpels and seed sets as well as large seeds with better nutritional properties. Roots of these varieties are thin, fibrous, and do not form good rhizomes. The main popular cultivars for seed production in China are Cunsanlian, Xianglian 1, Zilian 2, Jianlian, Ganlian 62, and Taikong 36. The average yield of these cultivars in China

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2562-400: The depiction of elephants alongside Lakshmi highlights the intertwining of wealth and sovereignty, merging the attributes of the goddess with those of royal power. Additionally, she is the form of the goddess who stands for animal wealth, as well as other symbols of wealth that represent strength. In a sixth century BCE sculpture, the goddess is depicted holding a lotus in her left hand and

2623-533: The divine blessings of wealth and prosperity but also embodies themes of fertility and royal authority. This form has been incorporated as one of the Ashta Lakshmi , the eight aspects of Lakshmi representing different aspects of wealth. In Hindu mythology , Gajalakshmi is regarded to have restored the wealth and power lost by Indra when she rose from the Samudra Manthana , the churning of

2684-398: The forms of paste , fermented milk, rice wine, ice cream, popcorn ( phool makhana ), and others, with lotus seeds as the main raw material. Traditional Chinese medicine claims that fresh lotus seed wine has thirst-quenching, spleen-healing, and anti-diarrheal advantages after drinking, attributed to unspecified bioactive compounds. Lotus seed tea is consumed in Korea, and lotus embryo tea

2745-514: The future to produce high volumes of uniform, true-to-type , disease-free materials. The first step of the cultivation is to plough the dry field. One round of manure is applied after ten days, before flooding the field. To support a quick initial growth, the water level is relatively low and increases when plants grow. Then a maximum of approximately 4,000 per hectare (1,600/acre) with grid spacing of 1.2 by 2 metres (3 ft 11 in × 6 ft 7 in) are used to plant directly into

2806-627: The genus should belong in its own unique family and order. According to the APG IV system, N. nucifera , N. lutea , and their extinct relatives belong in Proteales with the protea flowers due to genetic comparisons. Older systems, such as the Cronquist system , place N. nucifera and its relatives in the order Nymphaeles based on anatomical similarities. According to the APG IV classification,

2867-399: The higher the zone's number, the greater the adaptability of the plants. In the growing season , from April to September (in the northern hemisphere ), the average daytime temperature needed is 23 to 27 °C (73 to 81 °F). In regions with low light levels in winter, the sacred lotus has a period of dormancy . The tubers are not cold-resistant, if removed from water, and exposed to

2928-568: The language whether sculptures or paintings, or both, were meant. In early Buddhist art it may be intended to specifically depict the second of the Twin Miracles in the legend of the Buddha's life. In some accounts of this, when engaged in a contest with sorcerers, the Buddha multiplied himself into other bodies, which sat or stood on lotus flowers. It became used for other Buddhist figures, and adopted for other Hindu deities than Lakshmi . The throne in art evolved to be rather distant from

2989-516: The leaves. They are showy and grow up to 35 cm (14 in) in diameter. Some cultivated varieties have extraordinary numbers of petals. For example, the Chinese variety qian ban lian ("thousand petals lotus") can have between 3000 and 4000 petals in a single blossom and the Japanese variety ohmi myoren ("strange lotus") can have between 2000 and 5000 petals, the greatest number recorded for any species of plant. Researchers report that

3050-534: The lotus has the remarkable ability to regulate the temperature of its flowers within a narrow range, just as humans and other warm-blooded animals do. Roger S. Seymour and Paul Schultze-Motel, physiologists at the University of Adelaide in Australia, found that lotus flowers blooming in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens maintained a temperature of 30–35 °C (86–95 °F), even when

3111-578: The market. Traditional sun baking combined with charcoal processing dries the seeds but results in a loss of nutrients. Freeze-dried lotus seeds have a longer shelf life and maintain original nutrients, while no differences in flavour are found after rehydration compared to fresh lotus seeds. Dry stored lotus seeds are sensitive to moisture and mold infestation ; researchers continue to explore new ways to preserve fresh lotus seeds, such as radiation processing . Lotus seeds can be processed into fillings for moon cake , lotus seed noodles and food in

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3172-404: The number of petals (single petals, double petals, or multi-petals) and their colours range from single colour in white, yellow, pink, and red to bi-colour, most often of white petals with pink tips or highlights. The flowers are capable of producing ink used by artists such as Morrison Polkinghorne to produce abstract images of the landscapes of southern Asia. One example of a flower lotus

3233-442: The ocean. She is portrayed with four arms, adorned in red attire, holding lotuses in two hands, while the other hands display the abhaya mudra and varada mudra . She is flanked by two elephants. In typical representations of Gaja Lakshmi, the elephants are shown showering the goddess with water from their trunks or from pots. This act of pouring water is emblematic of the nurturing rains that are vital for agricultural prosperity and

3294-419: The pond silts in and dries out. During flood conditions, sediments containing these seeds are broken open, and the dormant seeds rehydrate and begin a new lotus colony. Under favorable circumstances, the seeds of this aquatic perennial may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from seeds 1,300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China. Therefore,

3355-721: The rhizomes into the drained field . The rhizomes are then harvested next March. A third way is to plant lotus in ponds or fields and raise aquatic animals such as fish , shrimp , or crab in the same field. A more efficient use of the water for both, the aquatic animals and lotus production has been identified with this planting pattern. Lotus flowers are widely used as offerings to most female deities, especially Lakshmi , in Hindu temples. Among male deities, lotuses are offered to Vishnu for prosperity and to Shiva for salvation. Garlands made of lotuses are used for adorning deities and lotus petals are used in puja . Lotus seeds are also used in prayer beads. Lotuses are also offered to

3416-460: The same field. Rice is then harvested in October. From November until March, the field stays either free or terricolous vegetables, such as cabbage or spinach , are planted. Alternatively, the vegetable can also be planted after the harvest of the lotus. Another alternative way is not to harvest the lotus rhizome , even though it is already ripe. A terricolous vegetable is planted between

3477-408: The seeds, as in maturing lotus heads. The bingdi lotus is a particular strain with two back-to-back flowers on each stem, but it is not clear if this influenced the form in art. In East Asian paintings, and also modern Hindu paintings, the lotus throne is often depicted more realistically in terms of its shape (not its size). The vast majority of lotus thrones just depict an isolated flower or

3538-417: The species also occurs in southern India, Sri Lanka, virtually all of Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and northern and eastern Australia, but this is probably the result of human translocations. It has a very long history ( c. 3,000 years) of being cultivated for its edible seeds and is commonly cultivated in water gardens . It is the national flower of India and Vietnam. The lotus is often confused with

3599-407: The sustenance of life. The elephants in this imagery possess significant symbolic meaning. The elephants are often interpreted as symbols of fertilising rains, drawing from an ancient Hindu belief that associates them with clouds. Mythological narratives suggest that the original elephants had wings and traversed the skies, bestowing rain upon the earth. Cursed to remain earthbound after interrupting

3660-572: The true water lilies of the genus Nymphaea , in particular N. caerulea , the "blue lotus." In fact, several older systems, such as the Bentham & Hooker system (which is widely used in the Indian subcontinent), refer to the lotus by its old synonym, Nymphaea nelumbo . While all modern plant taxonomy systems agree that this species belongs in the genus Nelumbo , the systems disagree as to which family Nelumbo should be placed in or whether

3721-411: The tubers. The sacred lotus requires a nutrient -rich and loamy soil. In the beginning of the summer period (from March until May in the northern hemisphere), a small part of rhizome with at least one eye is either planted in ponds or directly into a flooded field. There are several other propagation ways via seeds or buds . Furthermore, tissue culture is a promising propagation method for

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