The Lotus flower is a symbol of beauty, grace, purity and serenity and has special significance especially for Hindus and Buddhists and the ancient Egyptians who believed that it was a symbol of the sun, rebirth and creation as the fragrant flower opens in the morning and closes at night. The seed can remain viable for a long period of time and in 1994, a seed from a sacred lotus, dated at roughly 1,300 years old was successfully germinated.    The flowers, seeds, young leaves, and rhizome roots are all edible and the petals are sometimes used for garnish, while the large leaves are used as a wrap for food and the flowers and pods are used in flower decorations.  These were growing in the Pamplemousse Botanic Garden which was originally a private garden belonging to the French Governor nearly 300 years ago and has more than 650 varieties of plants, mainly trees which looked glorious with blossom.