Para Bhira main buransh fulee go; main jai kunoo meri Heeroo ai gay chho!  Thus sings a Mother, when Buransh blooms. She says-On the other side of the ridge, the Buransh is
blooming; I had been contemplating as if my daughter Heeroo has come. She compares

the colour of Bransh flower with that of the Chunri of her daughter and craves for the arrival of her daughter to her home-Maika.

The Rhododendron or buransh flower is here in Uttrakhand and you can see them here in local villages and valley of flowers.

They are easily found in Aisa and that’s why they called as native of Asia. They can be dustrubed in the region of Himalayas India, china, bhutan, nepal and Pakistan. Rhododendrons in Uttrakhand are mostly found at the height of 5000 ft and above from sea level. It holds a special place in Uttrakhand culture.

There is a Lok Katha (story) about the Buransh flower. There was a girl who got married at a far off village.  Her husband was out for employment in a distant place. Her Mother-in-law was a cruel lady and she would keep the girl busy in daily house-hold chorus. She had to fetch water, wood and had to look after the horde of cows. The girl did not have any brother. She had only her mother who was quite old.  She wanted to go to meet her, but the cruel mother-in-law would not allow her to go to her Mother. One day she came to know that her Mother is ill.  She asked her mother-in-law permission to go to meet her mother, but initially she refused, but ultimately yielded and asked her to finish the whole task and then only allowed her to go to meet her mother.

She ran towards her home through the jungle in the hilly terrain amidst hills and valleys. She got injured many times and her feet started bleeding, but so overjoyed the girl was with the imagination of meeting her mother that she continued to run.  The sun was going to dawn. She could reach near her Maika (Mother’s house). She saw her mother standing outside her house. She ran to meet her mother. She took it as a dream, but when her mother embraced her, she could believe that she is with her mother.  Both started weeping. It was a heart throbbing re-union of the mother and the daughter. Afraid and alarmed with the fact that she would be required to part separated with her mother, as she was required to get back, the next day, she had a cruel shock. She could not bear the shock and died.  She uttered Ija (mother) and expired instantaneously.  It is said that after some days, a plant grew at that place. It is none but the red coloured rhododendron (Buransh) flower. Even today Buransh flower makes the mothers remember their daughters.

There are many significance uses of Rhododendron.

It is used as a medicine, have economic uses, household uses. Maddy Rawat

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