Indian science minister unveils 'Namoh 108', a new lotus variety with religious significance

Indian Science Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday unveiled a new Lotus flower variety named "Namoh 108",which has 108 petals and holds a particular religious significance. This unique variety was developed by the scientists of National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI),a constituent institution of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The "NBRI Namoh 108" lotus variety is known to blossom from March through December. It is also the first instance where a flower's entire genome has been sequenced to understand its distinctive attributes.

During an event in Lucknow, the minister praised the NBRI for naming the lotus variant as "Namoh 108". Singh characterised this botanical creation as a "grand gift to the relentless zeal and innate beauty" of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

It is particularly because the current year coincides with the tenth year of Modi's service as the Prime Minister.

Also Read | WHO chief hails Modi's home state Gujarat as future's 'Mecca of traditional medicine'

The minister also inaugurated the Lotus Mission, emphasising its execution as a dedicated endeavor similar to other crucial initiatives such as the National Honey and Bee Mission, National Bamboo Mission, National Food Security Mission, National Mission on Natural Farming, National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, and Gokul Mission.

Also Read | Ladakh: Nine Indian soldiers dead after Army vehicle plunges into gorge

108 petal lotus and its religious significance

The "Namoh 108"lotus, notable for its unique feature of having 108 petals, was initially discovered several years back in Manipur. The specimen had been part of the CSIR-NBRI's assortment of flora and fauna, which serves as a foundation for their research efforts.

However, it was only about four years ago that a scientist noticed the lotus's distinct petal count, a number of great significance in Hinduism.“Considering the religious importance of the ‘lotus flower’ and ‘the digit 108’, this combination gives an important identity to this variety,” Singh reportedly said Saturday.

Watch | India’s Chandrayaan-3 in faceoff with Russia’s Luna-25 for unchartered lunar south pole

Though upon initial examination, the flower resembled other ordinary lotus types in India, but a newfound discovery was made.After conductinga comprehensive study of the lotus's traits, it eventually led to the sequencing of its genome.

Significantly, 'Namoh 108' is the sole lotus variety in India to have undergone genome sequencing, Ajit Kumar Shasany, Director, CSIR-NBRI told The Hindu. The only other sequenced lotus variety in the world hails from China and exhibits substantial dissimilarity.

With the revelation of its 108-petal property, CSIR-NBRI embarked on the task of cloning the 'Namoh 108' and refining its germplasm to make it suitable for cultivation beyond Manipur's confines.

“We will be registering as the official lotus variety out of India. After all, this is our national flower,” Shasany reportedly said and added, “We have plans on facilitating an entire industrial and entrepreneurial ecosystem around this.”

WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.