The marigold flower is sacred to, and used in the traditional ceremonies of two groups of people: Hindus and Aztecs. So... how did this flower end up sacred to two completely different groups of people separated by the vastness of the Pacific ocean? And what is the history of this flower?
The Nahuatl name for this flower is cempoalxóchitl. Cempoalli means twenty and xochitl means flower. This flower with its bright yellow orange colour was a symbol of the sun, which is why it was used as offerings to Tonatiuh, the sun god.
Cempoalxóchitl also acted—through its scent and vibrant colours—as a way to guide the souls of the deceased to Mictlan, the realm of the dead. This is why this flower is so significant on the day of the dead, where it is used in order to guide souls back to the realm of the living.
For the Aztec, the marigold represented the cycles of life and death, and a connection between the two.
In Sanskrit, the marigold is known by many names, but most commonly by गन्धपुष्पम्, transliterated as gandhapuṣpam. Gandha means smell (fragrance) and puṣpa means flower. This flower is the preferred flower for many rituals, temple and deity offerings, and festivals. Specifically, this flower is linked to Surya deva, the sun god.
Additionally, the colourful appearance has made these flowers very popular, and they are believed to have lots of energy and positivity to them, making them ideal for garlands and to be strung around the home, like in a Toran. Marigolds and mango leaves have traditionally been hung on entrances and gates for this reason.
For Hindus, the spherical fullness of the flower represents the completeness of life.
So where is the humble marigold really from? Well, it is native to the Americas, and was brought to India likely by the Portuguese, but when it arrived, it instantly became popular. It seems that there was a truly sacred, solar aspect of the flower that was recognized by both cultures, and both cultures seem to have independently decided that this flower takes on some significance about the nature of life and death.
Perhaps, this is no coincidence though. Perhaps the marigold is telling every one of us a story – a story that we could only understand if we listened close enough. About the sun, and about life itself.