If spring is the season of different shades of colours in Delhi, summers are the colour yellow. Sprinkled over the city, the yellow petalled Amaltas trees captivate the mood and offer some respite in the soaring temperatures.
One can find Amaltas almost anywhere in Delhi. They line the streets and roads, adorning the cityscape with their vibrant blooms, painting a picturesque scene against the backdrop of urban life. The encounter with them may be mundane: perhaps a walk from the Nehru Place metro station to the electronic market will expose you to Amaltas planted below a tall corporate building. Shades of sprinting yellow from the metro windows also suggest their presence. And then, one may see the beautiful flowers in an obscure corner of any place.
For Chandan Tiwary, a nature-lover who manages the page Delhi Trees, Almaltas hold special significance because they have been mentioned in ancient epics. In Ramayana, they are mentioned to be growing near the Pampa lake and at the hermitage of sage Matanga. In Mahabharata, they grew in abundance near Kushika country.
“When the sun scorches everything, Amaltas blossom. I see flowers reflecting the beauty in face of the most atrocious heat of the sun. It teaches me to be my best even when the external situation is at its worst,” he says.
Delhiites love their trees. While the trees can be found at all sorts of places, residents also plant them in their local areas, often sharing their memories with these trees on social media.
