Thumba: The Fading Purity of Onam

Mukkuttipoovum naruthumbapoovum
Kayiyethakonbathu mandarapoovumayi
Ponnonam koodan ee vazhi ni vayo
Chinga Katte poovumkondu ee vazhi ni vayo

(Here blooms mukkutti, thumba and low lying branches of Mandaram
Oh Chingam wind! please come through this path with more flowers to celebrate Onam)

These are the words of my friend Baiju in his new Onam song. I hope I have justified the song with correct translation. The song had a great effect on me as I was celebrating Onam in Kerala after a long gap. And I was planning for a perfect Onam celebration.

A pookalam with the flowers from a garden but lacks thumba.

This Onam morning, my neighbours had an unexpected visitor. I was hunting for the humble 'thumba' flowers (lucas aspera). I know the importance of thumba and I definitely didn't want to upset King Mahabali by not putting his favourite flower on the floral carpet.

This thumba is a common weed found in India. Though it is very common, it is precious for its medicinal and cultural importance. In ayurveda, it is considered as expectorant, stimulant, laxative, and anthelmintic.

I didn't find the weed in my garden, so I approached my generous neighbours. They hid their astonishment by offering me a handful of marigolds that landed from Karanataka state. They were more shocked when I politely declined the offer and insisted on thumba flowers.

Finally, I had to compromise with varieties of marigolds and roses. We should  thank our neighbouring states for helping us by providing almost everything during our festivals. But will the coming generations ever have the fun of searching every nook and corner for the flowers and tackle the challenge of creating floral designs as per the available flowers?

Will the traditional flowers Kakka Poovu, Thechipoovu, Mukkutti (little tree plant), Chemparathy (Hibiscus), Aripoo (Lantana), Hanuman Kireedom (Red pagoda plant) and Chethi (Ixora) slowly vanish from the Malayalee culture?

However, my hunt for thumba plants is on. Probably, by next Onam, I will have a handful of thumba flowers to welcome our King Mahabali.

Ten Weeds And Ten Wonders

Karkidaka month is here. A synonymn for Ramayana and Karakidaka kanji. A month, considered as inauspicious for any important functions, and the houses are immersed in chants of Ramayana and aroma of medicinal herbs.

Karikidaka month receives the heaviest rainfall during the year. This month is supposed to be a period in which diseases are more prominent and the body has little resistance against diseases. So our ancestors, who followed agrarian culture, devoted their time in prayers and medicine. Generations passed, customs were labeled as superstitious but some traditions continue to be followed.

I was searching for “Oushadakanji” recipe and I happened to land on information about “Dasapushpam” (ten flowers). These are weeds that prop out during the first shower in the season. As part of tradition, women in Kerala wear these flowers for better health.  Further reading on these plants, I found that they are treasures in ayurveda. The ten wonder herbs are as follows:

1.       Biophytum Sensitivum or Little Tree Plant (Mukkutti) : This herb has been used in traditional folk medicine to treat numerous diseases. It is used as astringent, diuretic, antiseptic, anti-pyretic.
2.      Vernonia Cinerea or Little Ironweed (Poovam kurunnila ): This herb is a known diaphoretic, alterative, anthelmintic, antispasmodic, antidote.
3.      Emilia Sonchifolia or Lilac Tasselflower (Muyalchevi or Muyalcheviyan): This herb is an excellent remedy for eyes, ears and throat complaints. It is used as anti-septic, anti-diarrhoeal, anthelmintic, febrifuge.
4.      Cynodon Dactylon or Bermuda Grass (Karuka): As per Hindu mythology, this herb is considered holistic. It is used as astringent, diuretic, styptic, anti-diarrhoeal.
5.       Curculigo Orchioides or Golden Eye-grass (Nilappana): This herb used as tonic, diuretic, aphrodisiac and carminative
6.      Eclipta prostrata or False Daisy (Kaiyonni): This herb has antihepatotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities.
7.       Evolvulus alsinoides or Dwarf Morning Glory (Vishnukranthi): This herb is used to treat mental and cognitive disorders as it is considered a nootropic.
8.      Aerva Lanata or Mountain Knot-grass (Cheroola): This herb has an excellent diuretic and lithontriptic properties.
9.      Ipomoea sepiaria or Purple Heart Glory (Thiruthali): The herb is used in treating sterility in women, urinary retention, constipation, and gynecological disorders.
10.   Cardiospermum halicacabum or Balloon Vine (Uzhinjha): This herb is used to treat arthritis, inflammations, constipation and abdominal discomfort.

After reading this, I went to my garden and found that most of the weeds out there. So, I am not de-weeding my garden this year as I fear destroying such immense treasure.
Now, am I going hysterical?

Cilantro versus Culantro

English Malli, I heard it for the first time in a kitchen in Wayanad, Kerala. Malli in Malayalam means coriander or cilantro. The look of the saw-edged leaves was very strange for a city-bred like me. Here, the people use it for garnishing in the absence of cilantro leaves.

I went to the garden in search of this plant. You need to be careful while walking through these plants for its sharp edges may prick your feet. The leaves smell exactly like a cilantro leaves. The sight of these weeds was bit ‘ thorny’ enough to generate curiosity.

Culantro

I approached Google guru to gain further information on the locally-called English Malli. I found the information on Wikipedia. Its name is Culantro (Eryngium foetidum) with Mexican origin. The article further says that people in India also use it. Though I am not sure as I have known this fact for the first time.

Also, I find that it is largely used in traditional medicines for treating burns, hypertension, etc. This plant is also called as spiritweed or fitweed as it is mainly used for epilepsy treatment.

So, next time when you are de-weeding your garden, do not remove culantro. They taste exactly like cilantro; I found my first culantro-sprinkled dish, oats upama, to be very yummy. Cilantro leaves are no more a freebie from the vegetable vendors; hence culantro is a cheap and a healthy substitute.

Hope this piece was informative for ignorant people like me. J