After a few months of compulsory break (Mumbai rains ) I
have again started my morning walk.
My early morning walk is one of the activities of the day I thoroughly
enjoy.
It is quiet,no traffic,no crowd very few people on the
streets mainly morning walkers,milkman on cycle,newspaper distributors and few
people leaving early for work.
It is at this time I witness the miracles of nature.The cool
breeze touching my skin,birds chirping and the sun getting ready to spread its
wings.I witness the seasonal changes of the trees and shrubs,Few trees are in
full bloom,few fruiting,few have shed their leaves and on some trees leaves
changing colour.Many times I am walking on a carpet of flowers ( mainly
peltophorum ) and sometimes I stop in search of flowers whose fragrance I just
smelled.
As I take my morning walk I see the world with new eyes.
Today as I was walking all of a sudden I noticed a tree in full bloom.When I
stopped to observe it the tree was
Alstonia scholaris also known as saptaparni.( if you wonder how I know the
botanical names let me tell you I design landscapes.).
I have seen this tree many times in many places,it is very
common in Mumbai but never in full bloom.I was so thrilled.standing near the
tree I could smell the fragrance of the flowers.What a beautiful start to my
day.Later in the day when I had time I went and clicked photos of the tree.
Alstonia is a beautiful evergreen tree with greenish white
flowers.Its common name in Sanskrit is saptaparni because of the seven lance
shaped digitate leaflets at the end of the stalk.The name alstonia is after the
Scottish botanist Charles Alston and scholaris because the wood is used to make
slates and blackboards.
It will be nice if everyone spends time alone in nature and
while you are there in nature remember that you too are part of this miracles
of nature.