“A light touch do I feel, a few words do I hear

And I conjure in my mind spring’s full moon

The intoxicating red of ‘Palash’ blend with the fragrance of Champa

I weave with music into a net of color and fervor”

-Rabindranath Tagore

Known as “Agni Phool” or fire flower in local culture, Palash in Indian tradition has been described by poets as flaming blooms, whose bloom gives the appearance of a forest burning. The vivid color of the flower and its beauty has been compared to Agni, the fire god, and appears in the traditional celebration of spring in many states and worship of deities such as Lord Shiva.

This watercolor on paper, seemingly a simple depiction of the Palash flower thus carries a rich heritage of India on its canvas. The lovely, flaming Palash with its leaves is depicted by the artists as if sprouting from the ground, like a flaming fire born from the heart of Earth.