Nil Manel (Nymphaea nouchali)

The beautiful aquatic bloom “Nil Manel” (Nymphaea nouchali) is the National Flower of Sri Lanka. Nil means ‘blue’ in Sinhala as is also known as the “Blue Lotus” in English.

Many ancient scripts refer to the Blue Lotus, and it is also found in Buddhist lore. The flower is a sign of virtue, discipline and purity.

Nymphaea stellata

The slightly different yet equally alluring Nymphaea stellata is erroneously perceived as the National Flower by the masses.

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Photograph (c) by Nilu Rajapakse