Don't cry for Nil Manel Mal; we have NaMal

Sri Lanka's national flower is not Na flower, although the President's son or the son of the nation is Namal.

But, now it seems that we can replace the national flower with Na Mala (Mesua ferrea) since the original national flower Nil Manel is endangered.

Sri Lanka's national flower Nil Manel or blue water lily (Nymphaea stellata) has been identified hybridizing with a foreign water lilly in natural environment, says Prof. Deepthi Yakandawala of Botanical Department of Peradeniya University.

In February 1986 blue water lily was chosen as the National flower. It is found all the parts of Sri Lanka and grows in the shallow water. Its pPetals are arranged like a star and the flat round waterproof leaves are bright green.

Considered a symbol of purity and truth, it has a sweet fragrance and used for offering at Buddhist Temples and rituals for god Vishnu.

Sigiriya frescoes of women holds these flowers in their hands.

I remember that Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) in its prime time of state building named Niyangala Mala (Gloriosa Superba) the national flower of Ealam. 

No Niyangala and no Nil Manel too now. Yet we have our Na Mala.