Pankaj Oudhia Agriculture Scientist

Traditional Knowledge about Medicinal Rice Mundaria and its use in advanced stages of Cancer and other diseases, with other medicinal herbs, in Indian state Chhattisgarh.

Pankaj Oudhia

The Traditional Healers of Indian state use medicinal herbs in unique ways. In treatment of advanced stages of cancer, patients are given medicines very frequently. Besides medicines routine food is also necessary. During treatment, food and medicines are mixed in a way so that patients get medicines through food. In Traditional Healing, Medicinal Rice are used in treatment of cancer. While cooking Medicinal Rice freshly collected herbs are added with it . Then cooked rice with essence of herbs is served to patients. Through Ethnobotanical surveys conducted in different parts of Indian state Chhattisgarh from year 1994 to 2008, information on over 65 Medicinal Rice used in this special way has been collected. Along with Medicinal Rice Tenduphool, Bhejri, Maharaji and Alcha, Mundaria is also used by the Healers.

According to senior Healers, two types of Medicinal Rice Mundaria are used in this way. Both are early duration types and grown in upland. Mundaria is among Medicinal Rice not in cultivation. Even most of the senior Rice growers have forgotten its name. In remote areas, few farmers showed its old seeds but they were not sure about its purity. They have shifted to modern varieties. The world literatures have no information about this Medicinal Rice. Through this report, it is coming among the world community for the first time. During interactions, the Healers aware of its medicinal potential informed that they tried hard to maintain its purity but at last resort started using other traditional rice as substitute. But they insisted that other types are not promising alternatives. They requested the Government through author to conserve this Medicinal Rice and provide seeds to them.

Medicinal Rice Mundaria is not only used in treatment of cancer. Through surveys information on over 2000 formulations has been collected so far in which Mundaria plant parts are used as important ingredient.

[This write up is a part of scientific report titled ‘Medicinal Rice in Traditional Healing in Indian state Chhattisgarh. By Pankaj Oudhia; Current Size plus 50 GB; Unpublished.]