Jasmine in Different Cultures of Pakistan

A time in our lives comes when we fall in love and everything feels beautiful. But this probably is not the first time of our life and love stepped in even before so... Recall the day, when as a child, you saw the rainbow and smelled flowers for the first time. What did you feel? The stars shone in your eyes to see the wonderful colors of the range and a voice came from your heart:  "I wish I could touch it." The longing to touch the rainbow had just started to bloom, then you encountered flowers and a breathe in took you to the sparkling world of beautiful dreams, and to be with it forever, you plucked a flower.........

So this is where you first fell in love and this shows that our love with fragrances and colors is not just a beginning; rather, it’s a long story to be told. Come to think of it, we talk about fragrances in various innovative ways and these springs to my mind: Why not add fragrance and their association with cultures? Yes, you must have got the idea from my incompetent thoughts what you are all going to read about? YES...

Just like its name which is so feminine, romantic, luminous and so exquisite, Jasmine is a love at first smell. In Arabic and Persian it is called Yasmin which means "gift from God”. There isn't a corner on this globe where this majestic flower is not known, but despite its global familiarity, let me introduce to you all again. Jasmine (or call it Chambeli in our local language) is a national flower of Pakistan. Hence, being reared and nurture in our land, it has a very special place in our hearts. Think of any occasion and you can smell its presence long before it catches your eyes. As part of tradition, just a day before her big day clad in yellow, the bride is decorated with earrings and bangles of Moghra also known as Jasmine sambac.

The wreath a bride wears around her neck is specially made with jasmine and roses and she smells divine with this pure and sensual combination of red and white. To make their big day more fragrant and memorable, both the bride and the groom are given the garlands intricately decorated with roses and jasmine. This is not only in my country but throughout the world Jasmine is used in various ceremonies and the one that tops all is the wedding. In past years, women also used to decoration their hair with jasmine, but now it is no more a trend. I remember as a child that whenever I saw vendors selling jasmine on the streets, I insisted my mother to buy me one and I carefully kept it with me, hiding it from sisters’ eyes. 

Besides weddings and decorations, garlands of jasmine decorated with roses are presented to the pilgrims who leave to perform their pilgrimage to the holy city of Mekkah. Throwing more light on religious ceremonies, when a child starts his first lesson of the Quran, his parents and relatives present him bunches of jasmine and roses as a sign of appreciation and good luck. The same is done when he completes his education of the Quran. On a bit sad note, when one departs this world, it is laid next to his body as a final farewell gift of purity.

According to Islamic point of view some Advantages of Jasmine are;

Ø  According to Imam Ali (A.S.), one should apply bakain oil as it has been used by the Prophets. It safeguards one from all types of pains.

Ø  According to Rasool Allah (s.a.w.a.), there are many benefits of chambeli (jasmine) oil. It cures seventy diseases.

Ø  Even according to Imam Ja'far-e-Sadiq (A.S.), there are many beneficial uses of chambeli oil besides its being a cure for seventy diseases. 

Ø  Chambeli implies white chambeli and in Arabic the word for chambeli is Raazne as stated in many traditions.(Ref: Tahzeeb-ul-Islam by Allama Muhammad Baqar Majlisi r.a).