Pankaj Oudhia

Medicinal Rice in drought year, Budhram Rice and Quirivelia frutescens

“It seems that this year we will loose our valuable medicinal rice Tenduphool.” I was with the Traditional Healers of Chhattisgarh having expertise in use of Medicinal Rice. Due to severe drought rice crop is not in good condition. Medicinal Rice growing without any modern support is most affected.  Initial delay in rains and then attack of insects resulted in poor growth. Medicinal Rice Tenduphool is short duration rice but during first week of October crop is still in field waiting for maturity. Farmers said clearly to the Traditional Healers that this year it is not possible for them to give this rice for preparation of medicine. Traditional Healers, aware of the situation, are also not in mood to use this rice. They believe that rice growing in stress is not rich in desired medicinal properties. Now they have to wait one year for next crop. In general this Medicinal Rice is not grown as summer rice. This year seeing the water scarcity state government is warning rice growers to avoid summer rice. 

The Traditional Healers using Medicinal Rice Tenduphool in treatment of Type II Diabetes are now planning to use other Medicinal Rice for this purpose. They requested me to arrange Medicinal Rice from other parts of Chhattisgarh and neighboring states.  I am trying my best to collect it.

Few years back a farmer named Shri Budhram showed me Medicinal Rice type used by the Traditional Healers of his village. That Medicinal Rice was not having any name. He has kept it in the category of Bhata Dhan. Without any delay I named it as “Budhram Dhan”. I met the Traditional Healers. They informed that this Medicinal Rice gives best results when cooked with Kodo and Sawa. They recommend different proportions of Medicinal Rice, Kodo and Sawa to Type II Diabetes patients. “Budhram Dhan” is Haruna type i.e. early maturing type. It is grown in rainfed conditions without modern chemical inputs. The Traditional Healers are aware of Traditional Allelopathic Methods in order to enrich it with medicinal properties but the Healers of new generation practice this knowledge with less interest. It is a matter of worry.

I tried to interact with them. They said that they are satisfied with the performance of Medicinal Rice growing in farmer’s fields. There is no need to go to far forest in order to collect rare herbs and then through it extracts and leachate treat Medicinal Rice to increase its medicinal properties. The senior Healers are not satisfied with this comment. They simply say that enrichment is must specially when patients are from urban areas.

I shared Traditional Allelopathic Knowledge about Khapribela (Quirivelia frutescens) with them. The Healers use Khapribela based extracts in treatment of different Medicinal Rice. The senior Healers of Shri Budhram’s village confirmed that Khapribela can be used in this way but they prefer Olax imbricata based formulations for this purpose. Olax is used with Quirivelia frutescens also but rarely.   

Ever increasing Parthenium infestation

For KaduPani bath this Deepawali Traditional Healers presented the basket of medicinal herbs as usual. I found all herbs except Celosia argentea. When I asked the reason they replied that they failed to get it in their surroundings. It was hard to believe as Celosia is very common weed. I have seen its heavy infestation in different parts of Chhattisgarh this year also as previous years. In Chhura region, in upland rice fields its infestation was so severe that in only Celosia and Celosia was visible. It was hard to decide whether farmers were cultivating Rice or Celosia. Then why Traditional Healers were saying that they failed to locate Celosia? I decided to visit the village.

After walking long with them I found that Celosia growing spots in wasteland were covered with dense population of Parthenium. The Healers don’t collect Celosia from crop fields as farmers use agrochemicals. Wasteland is preferred. The Healers were much worried about increasing infestation of Parthenium. They wanted me to call in village. That is why they have not added Celosia herb in the basket.

My Parthenium awareness campaign is in full swing but it seems that there is need to start Parthenium management program in ground. It is much difficult to continue such campaign without any financial support. Due to this reason I stopped this campaign earlier and tried to force the authorities to come forward for continuous management of Parthenium. But it seems that Parthenium infestation is not a serious issue for them. Parthenium is spreading very rapidly and no one is there to stop its spread.

To manage Parthenium in residential colonies I found use of twenty percent salt solution very effective as well as safe. I used it up to two years regularly. After all kinds of awareness residents continued to bring soil for home garden from wasteland having rich population of Parthenium. These wastelands are seed bank for Parthenium. As result Parthenium spread started again in the colonies. “Awareness” is key but it is not effective always specially when residents ignore the suggestions.

Parthenium is spreading in forest also but not in dense forest. It shows that native forest flora is capable enough to suppress its growth through allelochemicals. Parthenium has occupied the space along with road. It confirms again that vehicles play important role in spread of Parthenium.  Due to good road conditions more and more vehicles are coming in forest. New tourist places inside forest are also responsible for it.       

Dang and Kadu Kanda

I am much impressed seeing the popularity of Dang and Kadu Kanda among the natives of different parts of Chhattisgarh. These herbs are present in almost all Badi. Everyone is growing it. It is part of their daily food especially during season. It is consumed by natives of all age group. I have found it growing in wild. The Traditional Healers prefer wild sources. They practice Traditional Allelopathic Knowledge to enrich it with desired medicinal properties. These herbs growing in Badi are also enriched in same way. I have seen these herbs in weekly village markets. If everyone is growing it in Badi then who will purchase it from weekly village market? I was curious. The natives informed that people living in urban areas purchase it in bulk and sell it in urban market. You will not find it in urban garden. It is not cultivated as commercial crop.

I passed many years during childhood in village areas but never experiences to taste bulbils and tubers of these herbs. It seems that it is much popular in specific pockets. The natives of rural regions are consuming it regularly and on other hand modern natives are not using it at all. It is good topic for researchers. They can study the health status of both categories of natives. When I discussed it with the Traditional Healers they simply said that you will find the Kand users more resistant to diseases. They can work hard and tolerate all kinds of stress. Use of these herbs as food is less important as its use as medicine. The Healers of Charama region informed me about the 100 days schedule based on use of these herbs. The patients recovering from complicated diseases are suggested to rely on this schedule and take Dang Kanda in specific manner. They claim that it acts in miraculous way. I have recorded 200 cases. Every case was different. Hence, suggested schedule was also different. These herbs are added in main schedules of different diseases also. For example, the healers having expertise in treatment of Type II Diabetes add it in 200 days schedule. There is no standard schedule. Based on the condition of patients they make modification in schedule.

The senior healers of Kanker region informed that when we use these herbs we try to hide its identity as these are known to every one. We change its original form and add it in herbal formulations in form of powder. You will find these herbs in bulk drying in roofs of village houses. Once collected in bulk herbs are used round the year.

Medicinal Rice Laha Gondi or Laha Gondikut for natural body resistance

Few months back I met the Traditional Healers of Southern Chhattisgarh using Medicinal Rice Laha Gondi as medicine. They use Laha Gondi with Medicinal Rice Tenduphool in treatment of Type II Diabetes especially when patients have kidney related troubles with Type II Diabetes. Cooked Rice is given in different proportions along with other medicinal herbs to the patients based on their conditions. Like other Medicinal Rice the area of Laha Gondi is also decreasing at alarming rates.

I have collected 9 variants of this Medicinal Rice. All variants are not used as medicine. The Healers consider the long duration Laha Gondi as true Laha Gondi. The use only the crop raised through Traditional agriculture. Use of modern agrochemicals is strictly restricted. But farmers growing it as food crop use at least Urea and pesticides during season. The Healers are not happy with it but they have no alternative. Farmers raise it for food not for medicine. Some part of it is given to Traditional Healers as gift. In return the Healers take care of their health troubles round the year. Farmers of young generation are not much interested in this deal. They want to grow High Yielding Varieties and instead of taking free services of Traditional Healers prefer to visit nearby cities for modern medical care.

I have mentioned in early writings that Laha Gondi is Medicinal Rice useful for everyone. Cooked rice must be taken by natives of all age group in order to get protection from diseases round the year. The Healers specially recommend its use to the patients with poor vitality. It is also given to women after child birth in order to regain the strength.

Cooked with other medicinal herbs Laha Gondi is used in different ways. It is integral part of over 8000 Traditional formulations in Indian state Chhattisgarh. Laha Gondi and its medicinal uses are not mentioned in ancient literatures. Modern literatures are also having no information.

Not only seeds but all parts of Laha Gondi are used in Traditional Healing. Its roots are used in both fresh and dry form, internally as well as externally. Leaves are added in herbal combinations used in treatment of blood related diseases.  

I am trying my best to motivate young farmers in areas where Laha Gondi is yet unknown, to start growing it. It is only way at this moment to conserve this Medicinal Rice.

© Pankaj Oudhia