Science Minister Jitendra Singh unveiled a variety of lotus called ‘Namoh 108’ at a function in the CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, and described it as a “grand gift to the relentless zeal and innate beauty of Shri Narendra Modi, coming as it does in the tenth year of his tenure as the Prime Minister.”
The lotus has 108 petals and was discovered several years ago in Manipur and kept at the institute as part of its collection of flowers and plants, on which the institute conducts research. However, it wasn’t until four years ago that one of the scientists discovered that it had 108 petals — a number that Ajit Kumar Shasany, Director, CSIR-NBRI told The Hindu — and was of religious significance to Hinduism.
“Considering the religious importance of the ‘lotus flower’ and ‘the digit 108’, this combination gives an important identity to this variety,” Mr. Singh said on Saturday.
