Kurinji flower blooms once every 12 years only in South Indian mountain ranges with its cold climate. It’s an experience to see them bloom and paint the mountain blue.
The Miracle Story
Manan’s eyes were closed, but his heart was wide open. He was grasping every bit of nature’s view. He opened his eyes again to look at the blue mountain, which was different a few months month back.
He bent down and whispered into his son’s ear, “The last time when this mountain was blue, my head was full of hair.”
Ritvik giggled at his father’s comment and asked, “When was that?”
“12 years back. The blue flower which gives this amazing colour blooms once in 12 years.”
“12 years, but why? When other flowers can bloom every day, then why can’t this?” asked Ritvik eagerly.
“Mmm... that’s a tough one to answer, but let me try.”
After a little thought, Manan said, “God, while creating life installed a little clock into everyone, including you and me. And while doing this, he made sure that in everyone’s life important events happen at the right time and therefore he sort of installed an activation alarm for these events. For this Kurinji flower, he had set the alarm at 12 years for them to bloom and rejuvenate.”
“I see, so what does the clock inside me say dad?” asked Ritvik eagerly anticipating the answer.
“Well as of now it says that you will receive your chocolate from your dad and you will go and help your mom in packing things.”
Ritvik grabbed the chocolate bar from his father’s hand and hurried towards his mother.
Manan turned back facing the blue mountain again and said “I don’t know why but you feel like God to me, please keep my family happy, especially the little one. He is pure and innocent, just like you”. Saying these words, Manan started walking towards his wife with moist eyes.
After all the packing, when the vehicle was about to move, Ritvik shouted: “Wait a minute, I want to loo.” With his Family waiting inside the car, Ritvik hurried out towards the nearby tree. With all his might, he plucked a young tender Kurinji plant and pushed it into his backpack before running back to the car. The Family started their journey and reached home before dark. The next day the Family had to leave early to the airport for their overseas trip. Everyone woke up late, and with all their last-minute antics, they made it into their cab on time. They transmitted all their anxiety into the drivers head and started dozing again. Midway to the Airport, Ritvik wanted to pee again. While peeing near a tree, the thought of the Kurinji plant struck him. He was sure that they couldn’t go back home to plant it, so he decided to plant it somewhere near. Without further delay, he rushed to a corner of the road and started digging the soft soil there. He felt a gush of chill breeze soothing him.
He planted the Kurinji, watered it using his water bottle and said: “Grow up little one, I will miss you”. Saying these words, he kissed the plant and sprinted back to the car. While running, he noticed a young girl smiling at her, he smiled back and continued running. The girl was speaking to her favourite little God, who was seated inside a miniature temple, a short distance away from the Kurinji plant. She had overhead Ritvik’s talking to the plant and admired his innocence. She walked towards the plant and noticed parts of the roots uncovered in soil. She planted it correctly and decided to water it every time she visits her God. Ritvik had planted the Kurinji at the backside of a government ice factory. The Leak in their A/c unit was the reason for the cool breeze which fortunately suited the Kurinji plant’s original habitat. Meanwhile, the water leakage of the condenser unit at night was reaching the Kurinji plant without getting waterlogged.
The girl took good care of the plant every time she visited her God. Days became months, and months became years. The Kurinji plant grew into a bigger plant, and the girl grew into a beautiful young lady. Her love for her favourite God and the Kurinji continued to remain the same as ever. One fine day, she approached the plant with a long face and watered it slowly with tears in her eyes. She did not say anything and walked away. The next day she was accompanied by a young man, and they both offered their prayers at the temple. After the prayer, she took him to the Kurinji plant and expressed something through her eyes which said, “This is what I was worried about.”
The young guy gave a good look at the plant and decided to something about its safety. He built a wooden railing around it for protection. He also made a pathway to guide the condenser water from the A/c unit reach the Kurinji. The couple spent some more time with the Kurinji and left the road with their heavy steps. In a week, the wooden railing around the plant was removed by a passerby to use as firewood. The same day, a passerby goat pulled out the little tiny branches of Kurinji. Munching it for some time, it spat out the leaves. It eagerly looked around and found some nice juicy grass to munch on to change its taste sensation. The Kurinji plant, with its body torn into two pieces, was still having a part of its root firm in the soil. It took a very long time for the plant to revive back.
Over time, weeds started growing around the Kurinji plant. Standing amidst the weeds, Kurinji was hardly recognizable; however, it continued to grow big and strong. When things were beginning to look suitable for the plant, there was a sudden inspection of the site by a civil engineer. The corporation sent him to inspect the area for a possible road extension. He examined the site and made the blueprint for the new road construction. The Government started to implement its road widening plan by destroying the unauthorized building on the roadsides. The second thing to be destroyed were the big trees which once had given shade to the freedom fighters who were marching on this road fighting for an independent nation. Then the final job was to destroy the little bushes, which included the Kurinji plant.
Within a week, the corporation started destroying illegal buildings and big trees on the road. Two days after doing this, when they were about to begin the weeds cleaning job, they noticed a little temple on the roadside. Just when the authorities started to demolish the temple, they saw a group of half-naked people wearing a dhoti approaching them with red faces. A big fight erupted with further people joining the protest against the Govt. After a big discussion, the job got halted for a day. A Case against the Govt was registered. This case, just like all other cases, started its long journey with a new paper file and an old public prosecutor.
The Kurinji which could have been the next target got saved by the little God proving the theory that God is the same everywhere irrespective of its shape and size. Meanwhile, the chillness and the water leak from the A/c coolant plant began to increase over time, and it was not suitable for the Kurinji plant. The waterlogging with extreme temperature was threatening Kurinji’s life. Just when it was about to immerse into the waterlogged, the chillness stopped suddenly. Some Person was finally inside the A/c plant to repair the unit which gave a new lease of life to Kurinji. Kurinji stuck to the basics of survival and continued to be a living miracle among the concrete dreamers. The Kurinji started to grow more prominent, and thanks to the juicy grass nearby, the roaming goats and cows never approached it. It was big enough to search its water and to adjust to the climate around.
There was almost nothing which could have stopped the plant from growing and telling its tale through its flower but suddenly one-day the Kurinji leaves started to wither. The plant began to develop some white fungi disease all over its body. The condition which spreads through the air had targeted the Kurinji very severely. Now no matter whatever nutrients the plant has succeeded in gaining was lost to the disease. The plant was losing a battle when a mad cow came to the scene. The cow which had escaped from its owner was roaming all around trying to eat whatever it can, and that was when it noticed little water log near the Kurinji plant. Licking the water along with the wet sand, the mad cow turned back and approached the Kurinji plant; with a single grab, it sliced the Kurinji plant leaving only the roots and a small stem. The good news for the Kurinji plant was that its disease infected portion went away with the bite and the bad news was that it had to start all over from scratch.
Again days become months and months became years; things were changing all around the Kurinji plant. The pollution increased, and so did the climate. The Kurinji plant, a jewel to the Western Ghats was now fighting for its water and sunlight among the weeds. Out of all the changes that had happened the only good thing that did not change was the people’s faith in the tiny temple and the ever recurrent slow-moving court cases.
Finally, the 12th year came. The Kurinji flowering season is between July to December; however, there was no sign of flowering on Kurinji. November passed, but there was not even a bud on the plant, and finally, December arrived. On a chilly Christmas day when the whole world was celebrating its festival, the Kurinji plant showcased its first beautiful bud to the world. There was hardly any witness as the bud got immersed amidst the dusty weeds and dirt. The bud did not open for the whole day, and by the time it was midnight, there was a sudden rush of people near the plant. They were the people sent by the government to destroy the tiny temple without the knowledge of the residents. The tiny temple got demolished in no time, and they did not stop with this. The people had brought with them a particular vehicle to mow the nearby land and make it flat so that the next day work gets more comfortable. The mowing started, and it levelled the entire field. By the end of the work, there was hardly anything green which was rooted to the ground.
The next day there was a huge buzz created around the temple remains. People were furious over this sudden development and were raising slogans against the Govt. Amidst the noise and fuss, a garbage truck reached the spot. It packed the temple remains and all other garbage nearby and started its journey to the dump yard.
Top of the entire dump was this Kurinji plant with its fully blossomed flower. The dying plant showcased its blue glory to the whole world; however, the world was busy with its problems. Who would have ever thought that a mountain angel would be making its final journey all over the metro city on a trash truck? When the trash truck took a turn along the roadside corner, the Kurinji plant fell on the street side. Despite having a dying body, the flower was full of life; it seemed that the plant had entrusted its soul and endurance of 12 years into this tiny beautiful flower. But again the world was too busy to notice it.
The flower had fallen near a tea shop where people were busy frequenting it for an illusional solace of smoke and sugar syrup. A noisy bike screeched its brake near the flower. A young man got out of the bike and approached the tea shop. With a cup of coffee, he lighted his smoke and walked towards his bike. He picked his ringing phone with disgust and began to shout at the caller. He was way too disturbed to control his emotions. Then there was another call, and this time it was his Dad. Cutting the call, he stood there motionless. He was thinking of his next move looking at the Kurinji Flower. Only his eyes were open and not his heart. By the time he started to compose himself, a gang of his friends passing through the shop had shouted at him “Ritvik come on, we are late”.
In a hurry, Ritvik dropped his cigarette and crushed it with his sole. He started his loud bike and raced it towards his speeding life. The Mountain Angel remained on the road. It lost its only hope after his creator moved on in a bike. It took its final breath.
