Mahameru Pushpam Rare Himalayan Flower Blooms Once in 400 Years: Fact Check

Story:

Mahameru Pushpam

In the Himalayas .. It blooms only once in 400 years.

Other Versions

1. This is the flower which is known as ” MAHAMERU PUSHPAM” or Arya Pu. It’s seen in Himalaya. It flowers once in 400 years. If we wanted to see it again need to wait for another 400 years. So our generation is lucky. So please share maximum. Let others to see it.

2. (Telugu)
మహామేరు పుష్పం .హిమాలయలలో 400 సంవత్సరాలకి ఒకసారి పూస్తుంది. ఈజన్మలో మనము చూసే అదృష్టము కలిగింది. చూసి ఆనందించండి.

Fact Check:

A popular story on social media and image sharing sites purports to show Mahameru Pushpam or Arya Pu, a rare flower that blooms in Himalayas only once in 400 Years. It also mentions we are lucky to witness the rare flower bloom in our times and asks viewers to share the picture of Mahameru Pushpam with others. The flower in the picture is real, but it is not any rare Himalayan flower called Mahameru Pushpam.

Actual Facts about ‘Mahameru Pushpam’

The flower in the picture appears quite distinct and beautiful, reason why many people went on to share the story online. We found the picture appeared on a post of Chinese blog pixnet.net earlier in June 2017. It actually shows a distinctive member of flowering plant genus Protea called Protea cynaroides having largest flower-head in the genus. It is also called the king protea, giant protea, king sugar bush or honeypot.

Proteas are indigenous flowers to the Cape, and significantly, Protea cynaroides is the national flower of South Africa. Interestingly, it also lends its name to the South African national cricket team, whose nickname is “the Proteas”. Protea cynaroides appears widely in Southern and Southwestern parts of South Africa. Notably, the king protea appears in several color forms, and the unusual flower has a long vase life in flower arrangements. In the video below, you can watch one Protea cynaroides plant with flowers in different stages.

Maha Meru

On the other hand, Maha Meru is actually the two-dimensional Sri Yantra represented in three dimensions. In fact, Mount Meru, the sacred five-peaked mountain of Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmology derives its name from this shape.

Therefore, the picture story showing Mahameru Pushpam or Arya Pu as a rare flower that blooms in Himalayas only once in 400 years is a hoax. This reminds us of a similar story in past showing a rare Omkara flower in Himalayas which allegedly grows once in 50 years.

Rare Omkara Flower in Himalayas, Grows Once in 50 Years: Fact Check

Update: 2nd Nov. 2019

We have come across another story in circulation on social media alleging to show the Mahameru or Arya flower. Again, accompanying messages claim the rare flower is from Himalayas and blooms only once every 400 years.

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Not Mahameru, they are Saguaro flowers of a Cactus species Carnegiea gigantea called Saguaro. The tree-like, columnar in the form of Cactus can grow over 40 feet high. You can learn more about its white flowers here.

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Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.