Patri's for Lord Ganesha: Just a compilation of information. Various leaves or Patri's are offered to Lord Ganesha during the Ganesh Festival. It was a tradition to know and remember these plants during the festival since ancient times. One should not rob or destroy these plants as it happens today. Many alternatives are also sold mimicking the originals. Patri's offered to Lord Ganesha 1 Arjun Arjunsadada Terminalia arjuna Combretaceae 2 Agast Hadga Sesbania grandiflora Fabaceae 3 Aghada Apamarg Achyranthus aspera Amaranthaceae 4 Bel Sriphal Aegle marmelos Rutaceae 5 Bor Badari Zizyphus mauritiana Rhamnaceae 6 Devdar Devdaru Cedrus deodorata Zingiberaceae 7 Durva Harali Cynodon Dactylon Poaceae 8 Dalimb Dadim Punica granatum Lythraceae 9 Dhotra Dhatura Datura Stramonium Solanaceae 10 Dorli Ranwang Solanum Indicum Solanaceae 11 Jai/Jati/Jatika Jasmine Jasminum Auriculatum Oleaceae 12 Kanher Karweer Nerium indicum Apocyanaceae 13 Kewda Ketki Pandanus odoratimus Pandanaceae 14 Maka Bhrungraj Eclipta erecta (prostrata) Asteraceae 15 Marwa Maarwa Origanum majorana Lamiaceae 16 Mogra Mallika Jasminum sambac Oleaceae 17 Pimpal Ashvattha Ficus religiosum Moraceae 18 Rui Ark Calotropis procera Aesclepiadaceae 19 Shami Khejdi Prosopis speciosa Mimosaceae 20 Tulas Vaijayanti Osimum sanctum Lamiaceae 21 Vishnukrant Vishnukranta Evolvulus alsinoides Convolvulaceae
Recently *Celastrus paniculatus* (Jyotishmati) was mentioned by somebody as one of the Patri's offered to Lord Ganesha. Somehow this plant doesn't figure in the list provided below. Of course there are variations in the literature. Here is my list of the 21 patris used in Ganesh puja. As ... mentioned there are variations not only in the sanskrit names of the plants but also in the identification of the plants based on the sanskrit names. However, all the plants are medicinally very important. 1. Machi - Artemisia nilagirica, Asteraceae 2. Bhruhati - Solanum indicum, Solanaceae 3. Bilva - Aegle marmelos, Rutaceae 4. Durvayugma - Cyanodon dactylon, Poaceae 5. Dhatura - Datura metel/ D. stromonium, Solanaceae 6. Badari - Ziziphus mauritiana, Rhamnaceae 7. Apamarga - Achyranthes aspera, Amaranthaceae 8. Tulasi - Ocimum tenuiflorum, Lamiaceae 9. Vishnu kranta - Evolvulus alsinoides, Convolvulaceae 10. Dadima - Punica granatum, Punicaceae 11. Devadaru - Cedrus deodara, Pinaceae (Gymnosperm) 12. Maruvam /Marva - Origanum majorana/ O.vulgare, Lamiaceae 13. Sindhuvara - Vitex negundo, Verbenaceae 14 Jaji/Jati - Jasminum auriculatum, Oleaceae; some identify it as Myristica fragrans (Jai), Myristicaceae 15. Shami - Prosopis cineraria, Mimosaceae 16. Ashwadha/ashvattha - Ficus religiosa, Moraceae 17. Arjuna - Terminalia arjuna, Combretaceae 18. Arka - Calotropis procera, Asclepiadaceae 19. Choota - Mangifera indica, Anacardiaceae 20. Karaveera - Nerium oleander/ Thevetia peruviana, Apocynaceae 21. Gandaki - Sterculia urens, Sterculiaceae Four more names were added to the list in Bhavishya purana - Bringaraja - Eclipta alba, Asteraceae Malati/madhavilata - Hiptage benghalensis, Malpighiaceae Ketaki - Pandanus oderatissimus, Pandanaceae and Agasthya - Sesbania grandiflora, Papilionaceae What puzzled me is the inclusion of a gymnosperm - devadaru (Cedrus) in the list which is not easily available. But a search in the internet yielded this information : Forests full of Devadaru trees were the favorite abode or living place of ancient Indian sages and their families who were devoted to Hindu god Shiva. To please Lord Shiva, the sages used to perform very difficult tapasya (meditation) in deodar forests. There is regular mention of Darukavana, meaning a forest of deodars, as a sacred place in the ancient Hindu epics and Shaivite texts. celastrus panicualatus is an excellent brain tonic. Lord Ganesh is god of VIDYA therefore in our region fruits are hanging over the head of ganesha. oil of this species is the best brain tonic in Ayurveda. I think this is excellent traditional method for plant conservation. Also, here in Bengal, we also offer Durva ghas... some people even make them up to look like durva in silver as permanent offering |