In every Indian garden it is necessary to have three kinds of trees-mango, jaman, and amalaka -the leaves of which are used in worship, and for decorations at weddings, and on the occasion of a birth. Among the flowers the lotus comes first, but every flowering tree is sacred in India. The splendid red blossoms which come out in February and March, covering the gaunt boughs of the silk cotton tree (Bombax malabaricum), are sacred to Siva. The dhak tree (Butea frondosa), the Flame of the Forest, which burns so brightly all through the same wedding months, is one of Buddhas flowers. The mountain ebony (Bau-hinia purpurea) is one of the most beautiful of the flowering trees, with its large delicate mauve blossoms whose perfume recalls the heavy softness of gloxinias. The white variety is sacred to the goddess of Good Fortune and Beauty, the Lady Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, who himself has many flowers sacred to him beside his blue lotus. The chambeli (jasmine) is sacred to him, and also to Kama Deva, the Indian Cupid. But the champaka, the 'pagoda tree' of the old Anglo-Indian phrase 'to shake the pagoda tree,' is more especially Kama Devas flower. It is essentially the tree of Cambodia, the place name Cambodia being in Sanskrit Champak. Jahangir puts it first on his list of Indian flowers, saying: 'It is a flower of exceedingly sweet fragrance; it has the shape of a saffron-flower, but is yellow inclining to white. The tree is very symmetrical and large, full of branches and leaves, and is shady. When in flower one tree will perfume the garden.' Earrings and necklaces are made from its sweet thick-petalled buds, and very bewitching the Hindu ladies look when they wear Kamas flowers. Recently the fashion has crept into palace zenanas of wearing pearl and diamond jewelry every evening. But formerly the ladies wore such ornaments only for special festivities, and decked themselves at other times with a sweet-scented flower-jewelry of chambeli and champaka buds. Almost every Anglo-Indian garden can show some of these quick-growing trees, with their curious india-rubber like stalks, glossy pointed leaves, and tufts of creamy flowers. Frangipanni, one hears it called sometimes, though I do not know why. No garden is complete in India without its champak tree, and the mali will plant one, should you neglect to do so, and ignore such an excellent omen. But be careful where he plants it, for the champaka is far too holy ever to be cut down. The images of Buddha are carved from the wood of its branches; and its little blossoms are still strung together to form festival garlands-those necklaces which look so quaint and sit so strangely on the black frock-coat of Anglo-Indian officialdom, and yet, despite their wearers self-conscious faces, add such a touch of Eastern charm and dignity to the simplest ceremonial. Holy days and festivals are all graced by champak flowers; arrivals or leave-takings are marked by the presentation of these sweet-scented wreaths. Great scenes and stirring moments fade in spite of all our will to keep them fresh; while pleasant things, unnoticed from their very monotony, sink deep into the mind;-the white blaze of the sunlight, the sweet crooning whistle of the Indian kites, and the scent of the champak wreaths.
