Thursday, October 23, 2008

Funky Jamaica flower looks like Hindu god

To most people, the purple flower that sprouted between two concrete slabs in a Queens backyard would be just a hardy vestige of summer.

Sam Lal sees something more.

The Jamaica man is convinced the mysterious blossom is an incarnation of the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesh - and neighbors and friends are flocking to see it.

The nearly 4-foot-tall flower grew in June and began to resemble an elephant's head and trunk in August. Lal said that the ailments that had plagued him for months disappeared.


Elephant-shaped Ganesh growth cured my ills, Queens man says

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

It may seem silly but I see the resemblance better than if it were in a muffin.Yes put it in a temple.See the beauty,because there aint enough now days.

Anonymous said...

Seems like someone is smoking too much flower god.

Anonymous said...

Its bad enough that waterstains look like Jesus and a slice of toast like Mary.

Now this.

Ridgewoodian said...

More proof, as if more were needed, of humans' remarkable ability to recogonize patterns, even where they don't exist. Oh well, at least Ganesh is a fairly chill god, as gods go.

georgetheatheist said...

Queens is becoming the new Holy Land. Remember the Weeping Madonna at the Astoria Greek Church? How about Veronika Lueken and the apparitions at Bayside?

Anonymous said...

Oh well, at least Ganesh is a fairly chill god, as gods go.

Indeed. If it was an image of Shiva the destroyer, or perhaps the goddess Kali, then I'd be a little concerned!

Have heard nary a peep from my nemesis Ridgewoodian in quite a while! Welcome back to the fray!

Anonymous said...

Praise Jesus!

Anonymous said...

I thought the original article was well written and not another stupid "Jesus on my potato chip" story. There's a touching aspects to the story.

Anonymous said...

I thought the original article was well written and not another stupid "Jesus on my potato chip" story. There's a touching aspect to the story.

Anonymous said...

http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping/pig-weeds-and-elephant-heads/index.html

Superstition and ignorance is par for the course, but the fact that the Queens Botanical Garden couldn't recognize this widely-distributed plant is fairly shocking. It took all of two minutes to get sheaves of info on elephant-head amaranth from a google search.

By the way, it's a fun and easy plant to grow, and it won't turn you into a simpleton, contrary to what this story suggests.

Anonymous said...

The Queens Botanical Garden didn't know what it was...eh?

They couldn't find their own butt holes in a bathroom!

Call New York Botanical Gardens or Brooklyn Botanic Garden
next time for some real knowledge.

Anonymous said...

why are people so skeptical?
Well i dont know about most people, but i beleive that god lies within everything. It is a miracle that this plant, that isnt even native to the U.S. grew in a Queens' man's backyard...and he just happened to be a Hindu. God leaves things everywhere, you should just be a little more aware.

Anonymous said...

i think this is just amasing and as a hindu i believe that it was a god sent.and lord ganesh had sent us his blessing.

Unknown said...

It cracks me up and makes me happy --- in this country, a Hindu god can creep right into someone's backyard to help him because ain't no way he's permitted into arts/literature or any other part of the beaurocracy.

Go Ganesh.

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