White Zinnia ~ Mann Vasanai

 

On a cloudy Sunday morning, one feels lazy and casual .. .. a flower, white one at that soothes mind.

 

The name may not exactly trigger any memory !  - Mangammagari Manavadu (Grandson of Mangamma)   directed by Kodi Ramakrishna, starring Nandamuri Balakrishna, Bhanumathi Ramakrishna, Suhasini Maniratnam  was released in 1984.  Its  music composed by K. V. Mahadevan.  For sure you have heard this song many times !!  

பொத்தி வச்ச மல்லிகை மொட்டு  .. ..  பூத்திருச்சு வெக்கத்த விட்டு

பேசிப் பேசி ராசியானதே...ஏ.. மாமன் பேரைச் சொல்லிச் சொல்லி  ஆளானதே..  

Zinnia is a genus of plants of the tribe Heliantheae within the family Asteraceae.  They are native to scrub and dry grassland in an area stretching from the Southwestern United States to South America, with a centre of diversity in Mexico. Members of the genus are notable for their solitary long-stemmed 12 petal flowers that come in a variety of bright colors.   Pictured here is a White Zinnia !  

The genus name honors the German scientist Johann Gottfried Zinn, a German anatomist and botanist and was a member of the Berlin Academy,   who lived only for 32 years.   Zinnia Lilliput prefers warm climates and can be grown in any season, but spring, summer, and winter are the best times for sowing. For ideal growth, plant zinnia seeds when the weather is warm, typically between February to April or August to December in India.  

The film mentioned at the start was Telugu remake of Barathiraja directed ‘Mann Vasanai’ a debut film for Pandiyan and REvathi.  Isaignani Illayaraja’s melodies ensured grand success of the film which ran for over 200 days and won Filmfare award for best film.   

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
17.8.2025