Flower library · Pooja
Son chafa
Son chafa is the golden champak, a tall tree whose narrow, pale yellow to orange flowers have one of the strongest fragrances of any Indian flower. It is a Maharashtra favourite, offered at home shrines and temples and worn in the hair, and it is also widely used in the south as sampangi. The flowers are sold loose in small numbers, often wrapped in a leaf.
Magnolia champaca (syn. Michelia champaca) · Champa · Son chafa · Sonchampa · Champak · Sampangi
Season
Summer and early monsoon, roughly March–July, with a lighter flush in some areas after the rains
Keeps
1–2 days loose; fragrance fades after the first day
Colours
Golden yellow, Pale yellow, Orange
Grown in
Grown as a tree in gardens, temple grounds and small plantations in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the eastern Himalayan foothills
01
How to pick fresh
Family Magnoliaceae
- aThe flower is slender, with narrow, waxy petals about 4–5 cm long, pale yellow to deep golden orange.
- bFresh flowers are firm and half-closed, with a strong, sweet fragrance.
- cBrown tips or edges and a soft, bruised feel mean the flower is past its best.
- dBuds that have not yet opened are firmer and keep a little longer.
02
Son chafa in pooja
Son chafa is widely offered in worship in Maharashtra, to Vitthal, Ganesha, the goddess and other deities, and a few flowers placed on the home altar are a common summer offering there. In Karnataka and Tamil Nadu it is offered and used in garlands as sampangi.
In many traditions champak is not offered to Shiva, following a Puranic story; practice varies, and families follow their own custom. Its fragrance is part of why it is valued for offering, and it is also used in wedding garlands and hair ornaments.
Because the flowers are few and seasonal, they are added to daily pooja packs mainly in summer, when supply is steady.
Daily pooja flowers in Pune, by 7 am · from ₹1,600 a month →03
Keeping it fresh
- Keep the flowers wrapped in a damp cloth or a leaf, in a closed box in the fridge.
- Handle them gently; the petals bruise brown where they are pressed.
- Do not keep them in water; the petals go soft.
- Take them out a little before the puja so the fragrance opens up at room temperature.
04
Where it is used
- Offered at home shrines and temples, especially in Maharashtra.
- Worn in the hair and used in small garlands and veni.
- Kept in a bowl for its fragrance in a room or on an altar.
- The flower is a traditional source of champaca attar and perfume.
05
Son chafa in your city
Son chafa is a Pune favourite and plentiful in summer; wrapped in a damp cloth it keeps a day or two in the fridge.
Son chafa is uncommon in Delhi and the dry heat browns it within hours, so keep it refrigerated.
Son chafa is available in small numbers in Indore in summer; keep it wrapped and cool.
Son chafa is rarely grown in Chandigarh's climate and is available only in small quantities.
Son chafa is plentiful in Mumbai in summer; the humidity softens petals, so use it within a day.
Sampangi is common in Bangalore and keeps well in the mild weather.
Champak is available in Hyderabad in summer; keep it cool in April and May.
Ahmedabad's dry heat browns son chafa quickly, so keep it in a closed box in the fridge.
Champa is grown in Bengal and sold in summer in Kolkata; the humid heat shortens its life to about a day.
07
Questions
What is son chafa called in English?
Son chafa is the golden champak or champaca, Magnolia champaca, earlier named Michelia champaca. It is also called champa in Hindi and sampangi in Kannada and Tamil.
How to keep son chafa flowers fresh?
Wrap them in a damp cloth or a leaf and keep them in a closed box in the fridge. Do not keep them in water. They keep a day or two this way.
When is son chafa season?
Son chafa flowers mainly in summer and the early monsoon, roughly March to July, which is when it is most plentiful in Pune and Mumbai.
Is son chafa the same as white chafa?
No. White chafa in Maharashtra usually means frangipani (Plumeria), a different tree. Son chafa is the golden champak, Magnolia champaca.
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