Lotus flowers feature in the oldest Egyptian hieroglyphics, antique Chinese ceramics, and Hindu folk stories. “The lotus is ...

roses and lotus flowers. Devotees offer flowers and flower garlands to Hindu deities such as Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth; Ganesha, the remover of obstacles; or the warrior goddess Durga.

The lotus flower is India's national plant, and a symbol of purity in Buddhism and Hinduism. There are over 100 species, the rarest being the blue flower lotus.