What is the national flower of India?

The lotus is the national flower of India and represents absolute reality. This flower blossoms one petal at a time under the rays of the sun. The lotus grows in many Asian countries in an array of colors including white, red, pink, blue and purple.

To Indians, the flower represents beauty and the ability to be part of the world without attaching importance to the material aspect of living. The lotus lives in water with its roots in the mud, yet its leathery petals remain clean and strong as it floats protected on a pad of bright green leaves. The edible lotus is used in Asian medicine to brew teas that ease heart complications and help with blood coagulation.