"O re Grihabashi khol, dar khol, laglo j dol.

Sthol-e jol-e, laglo j do–

Ranga hashi rashi rashi ashok polash 

(krishnochura, konokchura, shornalu ar jarul)

Ranga nesha megh-e mesha probhat-akash,

Nobin patay lagey ranga hillol."  

The song seems to echo in my heart nowadays, and it seems like truly the time for Dhakaiites to open their doors, as nature seems to be calling them to do so. Even amidst lives full of problems and the usual troubles of life, nature calls them to come and see its unbounded beauty. Light seems to be dancing around, spreading bright light everywhere. Diffusing the rays of the sun in a bright array of colours are the blooming fiery krishnochura, yellow ashokchura, shornalu, jarul in its shade of love, and pinkasia. The colours bring joy to the eyes, as nature becomes resplendent in the shades. May be this is what Tagore had in mind when he said, "A sudden burst of light to illuminate the soul." 

When we tire of the suffocating environment of Dhaka, and desperately need a breather, that is exactly when 'Modhu Mash', or literally the month of honey, arrives in April to June, to inject a dose of cheer right into our souls. And this brings not just the bounty of sweet fruits, but also in the blooms aplenty on the branches of tall trees, birds singing, the wispy colourful wings of butterflies, it is colours galore all around. Summer arrives without taking away a lot of the joys of spring, the king of all seasons for its colours. And so, the moment the Dhaka resident steps out, their sight is mesmerised by the colours bursting everywhere, along the main avenues, beside the smaller alleys, standing distinctly different from the regular dust, dirt and grime of the city. 

Manik Mia Avenue, Crescent Road, Ramna, Minto Road, Dhaka University area, Shapla Chattar, Supreme Court area, Gulshan, Old Airport area, Cantonment, Baridhara, Dhanmondi, Wari, Uttara and some areas of Old Dhaka have roads lines with rows of krishochura trees in full bloom. 

It is unimaginably beautiful. The sheer exquisiteness is enough to wash away sorrows of the heart, and road fatigue. Perhaps people do not go out on the roads to see nature's beauty, it is often life's necessities that are motive, but the flowers are hard to ignore, especially in their bright resplendence.   

It seems that nature is smiling all around me. I know many people who specifically wait for this time of the year, especially for the krishnochura to bloom. 

Krishnochura (Delonix Regia) is a flower of summer dominant regions. For its fiery shade of red, many areas know it as the 'Agun Ful', or the Fire Flower. It grows commonly in many countries of the world, and has different names everywhere. Some areas even draw their names from it, and many other have legends and beliefs associated to them, for example in Puerte Rico, you will find the 'The Valley of the Poinciana Trees', or the 'Valle de los Flamboyanes.' The Vietnamese call it the 'Phoenix Tail', and the Hai Phong city is also called the City of Red Poinciana. Some Christian natives of Kerala in India believe that the bloom got its colour from Jesus' blood, as it fell on a bush near his body when he was crucified. 

Konokchura or shornochura tree is just as large as the krishnochura, but it is much less common when compared to it. In Dhaka, you can see it growing near the Parliament, on Minto Road and also at Hare Road. Bright blooms of konokchura peak through lush deep green leaves. The wind often shakes up the serenity of these blooms, splaying the colourful petals onto the ground, and could make your heart sing "kushum kushum choroneo chinho diye jao." It is also called the 'Yellow Flame Tree of the Holdey Shikha Brikkho'. The name konokchura name was given by Prof Dwijen Sharma. 

Konokchura is not native to Bangladesh, and has arrived here from Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. The fruit of the tree is also very beautiful. Suddenly you will see the whole tree weighed down with copper coloured fruit. The mild scent of the flowers and the bright colours are a constant attraction for the butterflies and honeybees. 

A shade even brighter than the konokchura's yellow, is the shornalu, spreading cheer all over Dhaka. It is also known as the shonalu and bador-lathi. The name is a good reflection of its gold-dripped hue. The flowers bunch together like grapes, and hang so heavy on the trees that even leaves become invisible. It is difficult to turn your gaze from such beauty. I often stare at these in a transfixed manner while out walking. I am sure that most of us stuck in this concrete jungle of a city find some welcome respite and joy by looking at these colourful blooms. 

Perhaps its beauty is what made it the National Flower of Thailand, and the State Flower of Kerala. And not only that, the shornalu is also a medicinal tree, and is well-known as such in many Asian countries, wherever it is found. Among so many bright blossoms, the lilac jarul, or Jacaranda Mimosifolia, brings a gentle touch to the lives of urbanites in Dhaka. Perhaps some flower expert or botanist can elaborate this beauty of South America came to Bengal, but come it did in its delicate beauty. The road beside Bangla Academy, and the area around it in Dhaka University, is where you can see this beauty in its splendour. There are also various sized trees of this flower in various other areas of the city. 

Pretoria in South Africa is well-known as the city of the Jacaranda, because when season, this flower paints the whole city lilac. China has an even varied use of the bloom. Obviously, the Chinese do not just stop at looking at something beautiful, so they use the flower to dye cloth. In Australia, Christmas arrives in summer, so they have a saying— "When the bloom of the Jacaranda tree is here, Christmas is here." It is a welcome sight to the people weighted under the intense heat of the sun in summer, and hence the flower is seen in mostly warm countries. 

If we could plant more of these flower trees in our beloved city of cluttered piles of bricks, they could be source of joy to the inhabitants, even amid all the pains that life brings. Also, they would be source of much needed shade to pedestrians. And birds, butterflies and bees will also have more places to thrive. Let us not forget people and nature have lives fully entwined. 

By Shahana Huda 

Translated by Sania Aiman     

Photo: Shahrear Kabir Heemel