MYSURU: Did you know that relief for many health issues such as diabetes, blood pressure and kidney stones can be raised right in your backyard? Well, that’s exactly the kind of information this scientist has set out to promote among people in Mysuru. Dr Vinay B Raghavendra, an assistant professor in the Department of Biotechnology at Teresian College, has been conducting workshops, guiding people about how to plant and nurture herbs and medicinal trees in their homes, and introducing them to the various beneficial plants that can be included in daily diet.
Raghavendra’s focus is on educating women about how herbs are helpful in treating various ailments. He conducts free demonstrations and training on how to use the medicinal plants, set up a kitchen garden, and harvest and store the produce. He visits schools and colleges to deliver lecturers, and also encourages farmers to grow these plants on their land. He explains to people the botanical name of the plant, the family it belongs to, and its advantages, usage, etc. He has even placed display boards in front of the plants at the nursery, so that the visitors can learn about the plants even in his absence.
Noticing his dedication towards promoting local herbs, he was provided a portion of land free of cost at Bhoodevi Farm to set up a nursery. This is where he established Sahyadri Herbal Point in 2017. The nursery houses different varieties of plants that he has collected from organisations such as Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions, Bengaluru; University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, and from other places in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
His collection consists of around 100 varieties of medicinal plants, such as Mexican coriander, three-leaved chaste tree, Cassia alata for skin ailments, Chakramuni which is rich in vitamins, Arva for kidney diseases, Madhunashini and Srilanka Sanjeeveni for diabetes, and Lavancha,and Rasna for gastric problems.
“Mysuru is the best place to grow these plants because of the weather conditions here. However, the sad part is most people are not aware of the health benefits of herbs. We can easily treat cough, cold, diabetes, and blood pressure using locally available herbs. People should use them to a much larger extent,” says Raghavendra, who earned his Ph.D. in biotechnology from the University of Mysore, and pursued post-doctorate at University of California, United States, where he worked on production of biodiesel from Jatropha and Pongamia plants.
“I decided to promote medicinal plants and educate Mysureans about its health benefits because I saw how many Americans used medicinal plants to develop immunity against cancer, or diabetes. The plants were mostly of Indian origin,” he adds. “My wife, Dr N Sunayana, director of Sahyadri Herbal Point, maintains the nursery, helping me balance my college job with this passion,” he says.
His workshops have made participants learn not only about cultivation of these plants but also preparation of homemade products and emergency medicine like tincture for cuts and wounds, and juices and syrups for children.
“Medicinal plants can be grown all through the year. We can use the parts directly or store them for later use,” Raghavendra says, talking about how their maintenance is cheap and anyone can practise organic cultivation. “Only a few plants like thyme, rosemary, sage and lavender require more shady and cool temperature,” he explains.
“Instead of giving odd items as gifts, I request everyone to gift medicinal plants during marriage or birthday parties. This will encourage the younger generation to grow more medicinal plants,” he says.
HYBRID VARIETIES
High-yielding varieties are now being produced by Foundation of Revitalization of Local Health Traditions, Central Institute of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), and Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra (GKVK), Bengaluru. For example, CIMAP has released a variety of lemongrass called Krishna containing high percentage of citrus which boosts immunity and relieves stress. Hybrid varieties have also been produced for Aloe vera, Shatavari, Lavancha, Tulasi, and other plants.
BEGINNER’S MANUAL
A beginner’s manual written by Raghavendra provides details about home remedies for common ailments such as acidity, allergies, asthma, bladder infections, cold and flu, diabetes, headache, high blood pressure, kidney stones and acne. The manual informs the reader about which part of the plant to be used. In some plants, roots are to be used while leaves are not edible, while in some others, only leaves can be consumed. Hence the user should get trained in the use of the herb. Those interested in attending the workshop can contact him on 99027-61194.