Leibaklei * Indian crocus * rounded galangal; photo ©Rekha Konsam
The leaves have interesting shades of green for most part of the year but when it is bloom time, there are no leaves. the flowers spring from the ground directly without any leaves around, perhaps because of this, it is called leibaklei (literally, a flower of the ground). The flower is fragrant and delicate but because it crops up even on hard ground and is resilient, it is symbolical of perseverance and hence culturally defined as akhang kanbi leibaklei. It is easy to plant and transplant. I find that the best time to photograph them is in the morning when it has just sprung out its petals and when the light is not too strong. By the evening time, the colour becomes faint and the flower wilts
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