ADVERTISEMENTs
Celebrate this Diwali the Marigold way
Interestingly, the flower links India and Mexico inextricably, for contrasting cultural reasons.
-
Staff Reporter - Sun, 05, Oct 2025
- 01:15 EDT
- 17
Representative image / Pexels
Cempoalxóchitl. Ring a bell? It’s the favourite flower during Diwali in India. The Indian diaspora in the United States knows it as the Marigold, ‘genda phool’ in Hindi.
But still, what’s Cempoalxóchitl? It’s not the flower’s botanical name. The word has its origins in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. The Mexicans call it Tagetes Erecta, or simply, the Mexican Marigold.
The flower links India and Mexico inextricably, strangely, for contrasting cultural reasons.
It is greatly associated with Mexico’s great annual festival Día(s) de Muertos, the Day(s) of the Dead. Spanish chronicles also claim using the flower to treat all ‘cold’ conditions, ranging from stomach upsets to flatulence, and from period irregularity to fevers and liver disorders.
In India, it is the flower of Diwali. The bright orange and yellow colors symbolize prosperity, positivity, and the sun, considered auspicious for the festival of lights. They are used in decorations like garlands and rangoli to welcome the goddess Lakshmi, symbolizing devotion and good fortune.
This year, Marigold Collective, a project of Regeneration and the Sustainable Systems Research Foundation, is celebrating the flower to respect Indian and Mexican traditions.
It is holding Diwali Celebration on Oct. 19 and Día de los Muertos Celebration on Nov. 2. The events are in Gilroy and Hollister in California.
ALSO READ: Seattle Center to host 'Diwali: Lights of India'' on Oct. 18
The Diwali event is a call to enjoy the day with flowers, light, and memory. A Collective release said the day “includes a farm tour, garland-making, and a South Indian vegetarian meal prepared by Cook Jerey Swarnaraj”.
The Mexican event will honor Día de los Muertos with flower crown-making, tamales, live music, and a community ceremony to remember loved ones.
The Collective invites people to register (www.marigoldcollective.cc) and visit its marigold fields in Gilroy and Hollister throughout October. As the release said, “Stroll through golden rows, harvest your own flowers, and take home a mason jar full of Cempoalxóchitl.”
Proceeds from tickets and flower sales support small-scale marigold farmers across Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Santa Clara counties, the release stated. Participation helps immigrant and rural farming families cultivate marigolds as a cultural, ecological, and economic practice.
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
ADVERTISEMENT
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login