green lotus flower on water

Perhaps no flowers more so than the water lily (genus, Nymphaeaceae) and the lotus (genus, Nelumbo) have held such important religious and spiritual significance. The water lily (pictured here) played a signicant role in Ancient Egyptian mythology (as the flower of creation), symbolism (strength, purity, and tranquility) and iconography (the united kingdoms). The lotus flower (which is often confused with the water lily) holds similar religious significance in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Chinese religions. (Shot in the Silent Valley Reservoir and Forest Park in the Mourne Mountains, Sep., 2020).