You know this flower, right?

Yeah yeah, this is a hibiscus flower, at its stunning best. You'll see it all over India, wherever you go. But did you know:

That hibiscus is traditionally burnt in ghee to form a black dye for eyebrows?

That in Bengal, it is the favourite flower of the Goddess Kali?

That the women of Kerala have traditionally used the hibiscus to make a soapy shampoo?

And if you knew all that, then - aha - I bet you didnt know these things:

That Polynesian women use the bark of the hibiscus to make grass skirts?

That karkade, or hibiscus tea is said to have been a favourite drink of the Pharaohs?

That hibiscus is called "shoe flower" because it was used to polish shoes in Jamaica?

God, I love wikipedia.