Thanks Pankaj ji for this initiative on Holi and Plants. I am sure at the end of it all our list would become much larger. Here is what I read about Holi Celebrations in Guyana located on N E Coast of South America:
The Holi season there starts a month earlier with the planting of the Holika, the castor oil plant, Ricinus communis. The plant is burnt on holi day commemorating Prahlad's legendary devotion to Lord Shiva and also the Triumph of good over evil. For more details pl. see http://www.holifestival.org/holi-in-guyana.html -- Dr. Gurcharan Singh Retired Associate Professor SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 http://www.gurcharanfamily.com/ http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ On Mon, Mar 5, 2012 at 11:39 AM, Pankaj Oudhia <[email protected]>wrote: > Dear Group Members, > > After getting permission from moderators I am initiating this new > thread on Medicinal Plants associated with Holi festival. Please share your > views and celebrate holi in this way. > > > We are going to discuss from decreasing population of Bombax due to Holi > in Rajasthan to use of Bhang and its antidote in Holi festival. > > > From many years I am suggesting burning of obnoxious weed Parthenium > hysterophorus in Holika Dahan. Many residents are adopting this suggestion > and in this way keeping control over Parthenium population in surroundings. > > > Most of the Indians cities are affected by pollution as well as > mosquitoes. Plants like Blumea are present in our surroundings. Blumea is > in use in form of Herbal Cigarette in Traditional Healing since time > immemorial. Blumea leaf fumes are spread in patient’s room like Neem leaves > specially when patients suffer from respiratory diseases. Based on Blumea > and Neem like healing herbs I have prepared an herbal mixture and giving it > to the local committees free of cost in order to burn it during Holika > Dahan. The fumes help in managing mosquitoes and also good for lungs. > > > > I was informed that in Rajasthan Bombax is closely associated with Holi > and Holika Dahan is considered incomplete without it. Due to this religious > importance Bombax population is decreasing at alarming rate. There are many > organisations working to protect Bombax. > > > The Traditional Healers having expertise in treatment of bone diseases > collect many herbs on the day of Holi. Vanda is one of these herbs. Parsa > Kauagodi means Vanda growing on Butea monosperma is collected once in a > year on this day. The Healers claim that on this particular day plants are > specially rich in medicinal properties. They eagerly wait for Holi for one > time collection of Vanda. > > > > Let’s make this thread enriched with knowledge. > > > > Regards > > > > Pankaj Oudhia > > > > New Topics in Medicinal Plant Database > > http://www.pankajoudhia.com/mpd.pdf >
