A giant water lily has bloomed at Lok Seva Bhawan, Odisha’s secretariat in Bhubaneswar, after an initiative by the General Administration Department to cultivate, conserve and study the Amazonian species under local climatic conditions.
The plant, Victoria amazonica, is growing in a specially developed water body on the secretariat premises. Its enormous circular leaves can reach up to three metres in diameter, while its fragrant flowers change colour from white to pink or purplish before sinking beneath the water.
The cultivation effort was led by Jayant Kumar Jena, superintendent of Capital Nursery under the arboriculture wing of the General Administration Department. Jena said he became interested in the species after meeting botanist Dr R Saravanan, associated with the Botanical Survey of India, at the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden in Howrah, West Bengal.
“We procured a tuber and initially experimented with its cultivation on Capital Nursery premises in Unit-II area here. We succeeded in growing it, which encouraged us to take up a bigger project,” Jena said.
Following the initial experiment, a larger water body was developed at Lok Seva Bhawan to support the plant’s cultivation, breeding and research. Jena invited Saravanan to Odisha to provide technical guidance for the project.
Four tubers, including male and female plants, were planted in July 2026. Three survived and grew successfully. The first fragrant flower was seen last week, marking the project’s first bloom at the secretariat.
The giant water lily is native to the shallow, calm waters of the Amazon River basin and the Guianas in South America. Its leaves have upturned edges resembling shallow circular pans. A network of strong, air-filled ribs on their undersides provides buoyancy and structural strength, while sharp spines on the undersides and stalks protect the plant from aquatic herbivores.
The flower follows a roughly 48-hour blooming cycle. It opens as a fragrant white flower on the first night and attracts nocturnal beetles that assist in pollination. On the second night, it turns pink or purplish before eventually sinking below the water.
Anjan Kumar Das, additional director of estate in the General Administration Department, said the initiative would showcase aquatic plant diversity and encourage interest in botanical conservation and research. The project is also expected to create opportunities to study the species’ growth and propagation under Odisha’s climatic conditions.
The bloom has already drawn interest from students. A group of forestry students from Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology visited Capital Nursery to learn about the cultivation process. Subhashree Priyadarshini, a first-year forestry student, said she had studied the giant water lily but had never seen the plant in person.
The Lok Seva Bhawan garden is generally accessible to pass holders and staff. The general public will also be able to view the plant when the garden opens on Republic Day, providing a limited public-access opportunity to see the bloom within the administrative campus.
The project’s next stage will involve continuing cultivation, breeding and research into the species at Lok Seva Bhawan and Capital Nursery.
