Pankaj Oudhia

Visit to dense forest where ferocious Machadema lives

“Few days back in morning when I was going to water source far from my hut in dense forest I saw Machadema standing in front of me. I returned back without any delay. He followed up to my hut. I started singing with Dafli After sometime he returned back. Machadema is carnivore and rarely follow human beings in forest. Whenever he follows he definitely attacks.”  Shri Samadarshi Maharaj was informing about his experience in forest.

He is religious person and living in forest alone from many years far from modern facilities. He uses no mobile, TV, modern foods and sleep in forest floor. He is living without any trouble with wild animals. There is one common source for water in that area. He uses water from that source along with the wild animals. During summer competition increases. In summer he visits to collect water early morning for day long use. I have seen that other wild animals wait for their chance. You can feel the presence of different kinds of wild animals in surroundings full of thirst, when he collecting water oozing out from rock cracks.

“Earlier there were pythons in large number here. But now its population is decreasing. You are seeing this stone wall. Once it was heaven for peacocks for egg laying. Now you will not find even a single peacock. Poachers killed all peacocks for their greed. Every part of peacock is having religious as well as medicinal importance. Due to this poachers as well as locals kill it mercilessly without any delay.” He informed.

 The senior natives blame modern farming in which harmful agrochemicals are used, for the death of peacocks in large number, as important factor for decrease in population. “Absence of peacock is making happy to someone. These are forest insects. Now you can see more insects and damaged trees in forest. These insects are living fearlessly and helping the “Wood mafia.” They informed.

The “Wood Mafia” removes the damaged trees without any delay from forest. In this way they take away the precious food material of millions of organisms dependent on decaying trees.  “Mother Nature is very angry and as result more and more natives in our villages are getting sick from new diseases.” The senior Healers informed. It is not mere a blind faith. As common natives are keeping distance from forest they are reaching near to modern hospitals.

While interacting with Shri Samadarshi Maharaj I felt some movement in bush. “It is Machadema again. He is keeping close eye on me and if I am not wrong he is considering me as delicious food material.” He said and started singing to ward off this carnivore. I identified it as Leopard locally known Boondi Bagh. “No it is not Leopard; it is Machadema slightly different from Leopard. Like Leopard it also climbs on trees.” He said. I am not wildlife expert but write regularly on its different aspects specially on human-wildlife conflicts. These writings are establishing me as expert but I feel happy to remain herb lover.

“If it is not Tiger as well as Leopard then what is this?”  I questioned. “Cheetah.”  A senior native guessed. “But Cheetah is not present in India now. I have read it in school book.” A small boy standing with us said without any delay.

I missed to take the picture of Machadema. I searched the internet for this world in different languages but failed to get any information. Machadema is name which generates fear like anaconda. This word is not common in all parts of Chhattisgarh. I am trying to get more information about this creature.

The roadside village shop owner informed that few months back Boondi Bagh i.e. Leopard died due to electric shock. He was chasing monkeys in Sterculia urens tree and by accident came in contact with high tension wire. “I visited the spot to see the dead Leopard. It was not Machadema.”

Every time I try to inform Shri Samdarshi Maharaj about use of local medicinal plants available in abundance in surroundings. He is not much aware of medicinal herbs. He claims that simple living in forest results in sound health and there is less requirement of medicine. He neither uses modern medicine nor traditional medicine. It is really surprising to see a person surviving without any medicine with good health from many years. Like other forests this forest is also having mosquito problem. On my suggestion he started taking Bhuineem decoction in order to get protection from Malaria. I promised him to prepare a booklet based on medicinal herbs of this region with simple but effective uses so that he can disseminate information about it.  

Yesterday I was taking pictures of wild Curcuma in dense forest at dusk. Passing by natives warned me to not to stay longer in this region that it’s Machadema’s area. It can attack without any warning.

I took their suggestion seriously. As I always write that I travel in forest without any arm or even pepper spray. Due to good physique (?) I take much time to climb on trees when any wild animal try to chase. I am also not aware of any herb effective against Machadema. So I decided to stop shooting.

We returned back to Raipur late night.   

Ulat Kauha tree and its unique healing properties

“This is Ulat Kauha tree, very rare and very useful. I can give my life to protect it. It is present in this place since many decades and we are doing everything to protect it. The best policy for effective protection is to inform less about its uses to common people. Only the Traditional Healers are aware of its presence as well as use.” I was standing in front of Terminalia arjuna tree and senior native Shri Radhe was telling about it. I observed the tree carefully and said. “It is Terminalia arjuna only. Simple as well as common form. Why you are saying it Ulat Kauha?”

“Let me remove its bark to some depth.” He said and started peeling off bark. “Oh, it seems that there is another tree inside Kauha tree.” I shouted with excitement.

“Yes, it is Saja (Terminalia alata) tree inside. That’s why we say it as Ulat Kauha. Earlier it was old Saja tree but now transformed into Kauha tree.” He said. “Ulat” means upside down. That was really a special tree.

From the day one when I started documentation of traditional medicinal knowledge I am hearing about such special trees but got less chances to see it closely. I have written thousands of pages on Ulat Kauha tree. The Traditional healers use it in treatment of complicated diseases. It is used in last stage when all available remedies fail to give the desirable effects. I have seen its successful use in treatment of different type of cancer.

“Medicinally it is neither Saja nor Kauha but the unique combination of both. You will be surprised to know that it possess unique medicinal properties which you will never find in Saja or Kauha trees growing separately.” The Traditional Healer on nearby village informed. He was there to collect leachate of living tree. He climbed on tree and then with the help of Lota started releasing water. His assistant collected this water at the bottom of tree. The flow was very slow and water was getting enough time to come in contact with plant parts. “I will use this special water for external as well as internal use. In case of skin diseases we suggest patients to apply this water in skin before bath. Basic recommendation is to fill it in tub and patient must stay in it for long time but due to scarcity of leachate we mix this leachate in Neem leachate and suggest the patients to take bath. This miracle of Mother Nature is very rare. It is beyond our power to create such special trees. Seeing its healing properties we need thousands of such trees but it is not possible.” He further informed. I have mentioned in previous documents that the Traditional Healers are aware of therapeutic properties of first rainwater. They collect first rainwater from such trees also.

“Root of such trees possesses unique wound healing properties but as such trees are less in number we rarely collect roots from it.” I remembered the saying of the Healers of Durg region. Through surveys I have collected information about over 70 formulations in which this root is added as important ingredient. All formulations are used in wound healing. The young Healers treating Type II Diabetes are fond of this root and they make all efforts to collect the roots. With them I visited to forest deep inside in order to search new spots. In seven days we found hardly five trees.   

In modern literatures related to botany this phenomenon is not mentioned. These literatures give no information about its medicinal uses. I feel that this is new field and young researchers must conduct research on this important aspect.

“Many decades back Britisher’s narrow guage train was passing through this forest. They wanted to cut this tree for rail track but when they got information about its unique features they changed the route. Today memories of narrow gauge train are alive with this special tree.” The senior natives claimed. I searched the British flora with hope that may be they have written something about this tree but failed to get any information.

“Whatever the Traditional Healers say, without verification you write it in your articles. If botanical literatures are saying nothing about it then there is less chance that the claims of Healers are true. Take a project from funding agencies, conduct research and then publish your findings in international journals with high impact factor.” One of my botanist friends reacted on “Ulat Kauha.”  He is aware that I work without waiting for finance and projects. I have to write without any break as if I write throughout life at this speed even then I will not be able to document the knowledge available with Traditional Healers. I am not sure about the “impact” of my writings on scientific community but know well that it is motivating young generation in India and around the world. This message of Clarissa from Radford University confirms it.

“Thank you for sharing your field journal. I am an undergraduate aspiring Ethnobotanist who hopes to one day do fieldwork such as that described on your website. I enjoy reading about your research.”

© Pankaj Oudhia