Kadam flowers bloom heralding arrival of monsoon

Heralding arrival of the monsoon, Kadam flowers are adorning the trees with their mesmerising beauty almost everywhere in Pabna.

Kadam flowers blooming on the branches of the trees remind all that the rainy season is going on in the nature of Bengal with the cycle of seasons.

The rainy season continues from June to September. Another beauty of the rainy season is the Kadam flower that comes out in yellow and white. The rainy season and Kadam have been equally appreciated in Bengali poetry and songs. It seems that a close relationship between the rain and the Kadam flower is naturally intertwined. That is why rural poet Jasin Uddin wrote about the relationship between the rain and Kadam.

At the beginning of the monsoon, the rural green and lush nature is filled with an ever-familiar sweet smell. In the nature of Bengal, whenever the monsoon arrives in the seasonal cycle, the flower that silently announces its arrival is the flower of the steppe. On the spot, it has been seen in the rural areas of various unions including Pabna Sadar, at the end of summer and at the beginning of the monsoon, the side of the road, along the roadside, around the homesteads, and on the banks of ponds and lakes, the steppe trees are covered with fluffy yellow and white flowers of the steppe flower, full of sweet fragrance. Again, the rain messenger- Kadam flower - is adorning the hairpins and braids of the girls. This flower is also adorning the hands of the rising teenagers. Everyone is enjoying the smell and beauty of Kadam flower as they pass through every road. The smell of Kadam flower seems to be the eternal smell of rural Bengal.

The beauty of Kadam flower hanging in the gaps of the shiny bright green leaves has added a new dimension to nature. The fresh, pure beauty and enchanting scent of Kadam flower have created a different hypnotic feeling in the minds of everyone, including nature lovers.

While speaking to Shibojit Nag, principal of the Pabna Collectorate Public School and College, he told The Financial Express, `` Although Kadam flower is usually seen in the month of Ashar, It adorns nature from the month of Jaishthya. 'Kadam' comes from the Sanskrit name 'Kadamba'.Another name for this flower is Neep.There are also several other names for this flower such as Sarsap, Suravi, Pulki, Meghagamapriya, Virthpushpa, Sindhupushpa, Lalnapriya, Manjukeshini etc." He said that various stories, novels, poems and songs have been written about the golden colored Kadam flower, the gift of the monsoon.

When talking to Md. Hafiz Iqbal Haque, a biology teacher of the Pabna Edward Government College, he told The FE ``The scientific name of the Kadam tree is Anthocephalus indicus and the English name is Bur flower tree. Kadam is a tree of the genus Neolamarckia of the Rubiaceae family. Its native habitat is the warm regions of India, Malaya and China. Although it looks like a flower, it is actually a cluster of numerous flowers. Inside it is a fleshy inflorescence, in which soft white petals like yellow funnels are stuck. The fruit of the Kadam tree is a favourite food of bats and squirrels. They help in the propagation of this tree in different places."

Dr Md Nazmul Haque, a professor of the Department of Pabna Medicine at Pabna Medical College, said that Kadam leaves, which are full of herbal medicinal properties, are beneficial for diabetic patients. Its use controls the production of insulin in the body of diabetic patients. It is also used as a painkiller. Kadam bark is also used as a medicine for fever. Its use has been going on since ancient times for burning feet, acne-causing wounds and glandular diseases. Apart from this, gargling with boiled water of Kadam flower removes bad breath.

Deputy director of the district Agriculture Extension Department Md Jahangir Alam Pramanik told the FE, "Kadam flower is a symbol of whiteness. In Bangladesh, Kadam flower brings a different feeling to the minds of Bengalis on rainy days during the monsoon season. Kadam flower and the beauty of the monsoon season are inextricably linked in the nature of Bengal."

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