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New Delhi: As we step into the festival season, the fragrance of Shiuli flowers fills the air, marking the arrival of Maa Durga and the autumn. Also known as Parijat or Night Jasmine, these delicate shiuli flowers are white in colour with bright orange stalks. It is a tradition among the Bengalis that whenever one spots Shiuli flowers blooming, it means that Devi Durga is preparing to come home.
Shiuli flowers are synonymous with Durga Puja. Every morning, devotees pluck them freshly and offer them at temples and pandals. They are considered auspicious flowers that denote purity and devotion. Additionally, the symbolism of the spiritual awakening of Mahalaya makes Shiuli flowers one of the most cherished flowers of Navratri and Durga Puja.
One interesting fact about Shiuli flowers is that this flower is not a sacred offering to Goddess Durga, but also holds a special place in the North Eastern Indian cuisine. In many parts of West Bengal and Assam, Shiuli flowers are used in cooking many unique dishes. One of the most popular recipes made with the Parijat flower is Shiulir Data Chorchori. To make this recipe, flower stalks are sauteed with potatoes, pumpkin, and other vegetables. Sometimes, the petals of the Shiuli flowers are plucked to make fritters. They are even mixed into lentils, which gives a bitter taste but an aromatic touch. The bitter taste of the flower has digestive properties and aids gut problems, making it a sacred offering and also a seasonal delicacy.
Shiuli flowers today are not only restricted to a sacred offering to the Goddess or a Bengali delicacy; they are now attached to a memory. Almost all North Eastern Indian people carry a nostalgia for childhood mornings of Durga Puja, waking up at dawn, walking barefoot through the lanes and collecting the fallen Shuili flowers. And then, bringing them back home, washing them delicately, and preparing them for pooja and kitchens.
Shiuli flowers beautifully interweave spirituality into cooking. So, today, Shiuli flowers or Parijat are defined as festivity, devotion, health, and memory. As you step into the season of Durga Puja, look beyond its fragrance—savour it as both an offering to the goddess and a humble dish on your plate.
