Sam Lal, a Hindu who immigrated from Guyana 30 years ago, found a
flower near his garage growing in the unusual shape of an elephant’s
head and trunk. At just about the same time, a back pain that had been
hurting him for months disappeared. “This formation came to heal my
illness,” said the 60-year-old Hindu.
Experts at the Queens Botanical Garden identified the plant as a
member of the amaranth family, which is native to Africa, India and
southern Central America. Horticulturalists at the garden have never
seen an amaranth take an elephant-like shape, garden spokesman Tim
Heimerle said. “For it to have that long trunk like this is not a
natural thing,” he said.
Lal believes the flower’s position - growing through concrete,
facing a garage he converted to a prayer space - is evidence of a
connection to Ganesh, revered as the Remover of Obstacles. Lal knows
some people will be skeptical and insisted he did nothing to sculpt the
flower. Experts said that wouldn’t be possible anyway, because the
plant is too fragile.
With the fall chill in the air, Lal covers the flower at night to
protect it from cold; amaranths are frost-tender. “It hurts me to know
I’ll lose it.”
From HPI, HIndu Press International, OCt. 27, 2008
Elephant-shaped Ganesh Plant, A Small Miracle in New York
|
