Brahma Kamal- A Smart Plant

How does a plant know the lunar calendar a year in advance?
Sometimes three years in advance?
How does it work out the full moon in a monsoon month?
How does it know it is midnight?

These mysteries and many more are Nature's preserve. The more you observe the more you are baffled. Brahma Kamal ब्रह्म कमल is one such plant which has the answers to all the above questions. It bloomed last night in our garden after three years. On dot- on a full moon night in June, the monsoon month! Amazing isn't it?

You may browse our earlier story on Brahma Kamal- Queen of the Night posted three years ago. It has all the details about the plant, its shape, growth, climate for cultivation etc. In appearance, it resembles a rose when in bloom (for layered petals) as well as a lotus as a bud (for its conical shape). Its botanical name is Epiphyllum oxypetallum. In this story we bring you snapshots of the flower taken through the night till it folds itself again next morning. Enjoy the spectacle as it unfolds. 

As it blooms, the fragrance attracts bats and moths who help the plant in pollination.

We sign off with a hope that Brahma Kamal will keep its date with us next year. Or will it be after three years? Who knows!

Wouldn't you call Brahma Kamal a 'Smart' plant for possessing the intelligence? Like smart phones, smart TVs and even smart cities- Brahma Kamal beats them all! Its intelligence is natural and not man-made.

Thanks for browsing.

     -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 28th June 2018, Full Moon

Postscript:
30th June 2018: Dinesh Sharma a buddy and Nature lover, has sent a picture of another Brahma Kamal which bloomed the same full moon night in Pune on 28th June. The plant is reared by a BITSian Prabha Iyer Shankar in a shaded area. See the picture below. Thanks Dinesh.

It validates our observation of Brahma Kamal blooming at night around a full moon!

Another postscript: 2nd July 2018 from Miraj in Maharashtra. A reader and nature lover K Aishwarya sent us pictures of multiple blooms on 2nd July, few days after the full moon. Thanks Aishwarya.

Yet another Postscript: On 7th July, another nature lover and Naval buddy Lalit Khanna shared his experience of growing the Brahmakamal in his garden. Detailed observations by him are given in the comments section. He has also sent the following picture of pink flower of same cactus family. Thanks much Lalit.

#BrahmaKamal #Flowers #MarvelsOfNature #MidnightBloom #PlantWithIntelligence #GhumakkadHarsh #GhumakkadHB

Why Kodaikanal?

Do you want to climb a pine tree?
Do boating in a circular boat which spins?
See how sheep and rabbits are reared?
Walk in the mist?
Do paddle boating?
Ride a tandem bicycle?
If your answer to all the questions is yes, then come to Kodaikanal.

Kodaikanal- The Princess of all Hill Stations. 
Why is it called the Princess?
Because it is still green in most parts. Not overcrowded. Concrete structures are minimal. At 7200 feet above MSL, it has a salubrious climate. It has controlled littering. It is a walker's paradise-- at least in the morning. It has an old-world charm. In short it is beautiful and charming, like a princess!

Ghumakkad visited Kodaikanal Kodi for short, in June 2018 with our family. The centre of attraction of Kodi is the lake. We will bring you an exclusive story on the lake later. In this story we take you around other spots in Kodi.

This story has been put together by my two grandsons Ansh from Chennai (14) and Nikhil from California (11). We were all together in Kodaikanal. They helped me in selection of pictures, captioning and editing the pictures. Full marks to their creativity! Thanks buddies, you both rock.

How to reach Kodaikanal?
Madurai is the nearest airport. A 7-seater cab will cost about Rs 3600/- for 135 km drive. See the map below:

Those coming by train have to alight at Kodai Road Railway Station which is 80 kms away. A sedan cab will cost Rs 1800 for two and a half hour drive uphill.

Let our pictures do the rest of the talking.

 Moyar Point gives a grand view of the valley. However, mist enveloped the valley when we reached there.

 The Pine Forest is included in half-day's sightseeing. It is unspoilt and has its own charm. Tall Pine trees teach us many things.

 A fallen tree provided enough challenge for everyone young and old alike.

A fallen tree offered enough climbing skills and adventure to all. Here are few short video clips starting with Anuva the youngest in our group.

Nikhil is next. Does he make it?

Ansh our tallest member, tries next!

How can a mom be left behind? Akanksha goes next!

Ankur with his shoes on, makes a brave attempt!

Akanksha managed to 'fly' up near a Pine tree. How does she manage to remain 'floating'?

 Next halt was Guna Caves. Once again, the mist added to the charm of the caves and surrounding forest. 

Here is a short video around the entrance to Guna cave. Don't miss the sound of crickets in the jungle.

How does the hill slope covered with roots of the trees, look like? Feel it through a short 30 seconds video.

Golfer's attraction- Kodi Golf Course. Well maintained. It's a pity that I couldn't play due to tight schedule. There is always the next time.

 Pambar Falls

Ghumakkad had trekked in the hills leading to Pambar Falls in his earlier visit in Sep 2015. You can browse the picture story of the hike here.

The next day we did a day long picnic to Mannavanur. We also did a detour to Cascade waterfalls as we couldn't take pictures there earlier.

The drone camera brought by Ankur was put to good use. Pictures.

Get a feel of the Falls and the crowd in this short video.

Poomparai Village and View Point. This was enroute Mannavanur.

Postscript: On seeing the above picture, Prabudha Saurabh a poet, remarked:
पूरी दुनिया ऐसी ही ख़ुशरंग हो सकती थी तब
सबकी आँखों में ठहरता इस तरह पानी अगर

To which Prashant Jadnevar, an accomplished dramatist replied thus:
अच्छा है नहीं ठहरती आँखों में,
वरना वहां भी चाहत की कश्तियाँ लेकर निकल पड़ते लोग !

How a picture can drive creativity! Thanks Prabudha and Prashant.

The video below gives you a panoramic view of the valley.

 Kurinji plant which flowers once in 12 years!

 Mannavanur Lake and Sheep Farm: Located 40 kms from Kodaikanal, it is worth a day's outing. Start early and carry an umbrella as it can rain anytime!

 Mannavanur Lake- very serene and quiet. If you like crowds and noise, then this is not the spot for you. But if you love to sit on a hill slope without being disturbed, go there!

 Coracle boating in Mannavanur lake. Similar to what we did in Sanapur lake near Hampi. You may read our earlier story 'Coracle not for the weak-hearted'

Picnic Lunch

We had carried veg pulao in two containers for our picnic lunch. One of the containers accidentally toppled and we were left with only half the quantity. Outdoor is always unpredictable! Pleasantly so.

There are other spots like Berijam Lake and a hike up the Pambar falls. You may browse our previous story when Ghumakkad's College buddies conquered Kodi two years ago.

Hope you liked the Princess of Hill Stations in India- Kodaikanal.
More stories on Kodi will follow. Stay connected.

Once again, special thanks to Ansh and Nikhil my co-authors of this story!
Thanks for browsing
   -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Ansh and Nikhil Bhargava/ 25th June 2018

#Kodaikanal #Mannavanur #KodiLake #Nature #HillStation #GhumakkadHB #GhumakkadHarsh #PineForest #SheepFarm #TerraceFarming #CoracleBoating #MoyarPoint #Rabbits