Marigold: a journey among mortals to immortals (thread)
Marigold (Tagetes) is a popular group of flowers in India having a central American origin. It grows all around the country & is available throughout the year. Marigold is variously known as geṁdā गेंदा in Hindi,...

sayapatrī सयपत्री in Nepali, jheṁḍū झेंडू in Marathi,gām̐dā গাঁদা in Bengali, nārjī নাৰ্জী in Assamese, baṁtipuvvu బంతిపువ్వు in Telugu etc. Given its proliferation in the country, it would be hard to believe that Marigold has a history of a mere 350 years in the subcontinent.

The flower was introduced by the Portuguese in their areas of influence in India in the 16th century. Perhaps an older name in Marathi / Konkani rōjiā cā phula रोजिआ चा फुल denotes the introduction of the plant by the Portuguese representing the Rosa de ouro (golden rose) ...

used by Pope of the catholic church for blessing rituals. Another name for Marigold in Portuguese is ’Cravo de defuntos’ which was the translation of Spanish name for the flower in Mexico ‘flor de muerto’ (flower of the dead).

In Mexico & Honduras, Marigold flowers were mainly used in death rituals and as offerings at cemeteries. Similarly in southern India, in Tamilnadu, marigold is considered an inauspicious flower and it isn’t offered to deities, and is mainly offered during last rites of the dead.

While in northern & Eastern India and Nepal prominence of the marigold in the ritual and everyday life raises interesting questions. It is most readily associated with the color yellow, which is a color of purity, victory, chastity & piety in Hinduism.

OTOH German tradition ascribes the origin of the name to a legend according to which the Virgin Mary, when picking a daisy for the baby Jesus, cut her finger, the drops of blood giving the characteristic red tips to the daisy's petals.

However, the foundation of the connection between Mary & both the daisy & the Marigold may perhaps have been the association of Mary's responsiveness to God with these plants' characteristic property of opening in response to the sun's light (Jesus as the ‘sun of righteousness).

Love flowers?
Here's another interesting thread on Rajnigandha रजनीगंधा (Tuberose) https://twitter.com/avtansa/status/1275947855346352128?s=20