-by Sheela Rani Chunkath
One of the most soothing activities for me is to sit by a lotus pond and watch the beautiful pink and white flowers and the broad leaves on which globules of water would be shining like mercury. So I decided that I would have my own lotus pond in my farm; a small one where I could sit and meditate.
Some 10 to 15 years back, a drive down through the East Coast Road in Chennai would take you through many poromboke lands (government lands) and numerous lotus ponds. You could always go in and pluck a few lotuses. Of course you would have to be prepared to get thoroughly wet as the water would be more than waist-deep.
So once I had my pond ready, I set off to hunt for some lotus rhizomes. I remembered that there was a pond just a few kilometres away from my farm. It was a beautiful lotus pond covered almost entirely with white lotuses. When I reached there I was quite disappointed. Apparently they had cleared all the lotuses to accommodate a temple function which involved floating a beautifully decorated idol of the god in the temple tank. So I took a drive on the East Coast Road to look for lotus and water lily ponds and found that many of them had disappeared or had just shrunk. Luckily, I found a beautiful tank further away and pulled out a few rhizomes with some local help as the process involves getting thoroughly wet and somewhat dirty.
The lotus plant is amazing as it rises beautifully and majestically from the dirt below the water and nothing of it sticks to the flowers or the leaves. It is our national flower and has significant medicinal properties. It is a pity that most people cannot differentiate between a water lily and a lotus.
The lotus plant is used in preparations needed to pacify vitiated pitta i.e. where the body is 'heated up' and burning. It is also used to cure urinary and cardiac system disorders, hyperdipsia, diarrhoea, and vomiting. It is also used in cases of nervous exhaustions and general debility. The lotus rhizomes called Kamal Kakdi (in Hindi) is used extensively in Kashmir and in north India. Lotus rhizome and not the flowers are used in the preparation of pickles and salads. In Tamil Nadu 'tamarai thandu vattal' or sliced dried lotus stems are fried and served with curd rice. The seeds of the lotus are eaten either plain or puffed like popcorn. While the lotus rhizomes and seeds cannot be a daily food, it is useful to cool the system and is one of ayurveda's cooling preparations.
You can also make a simple sabzi with ginger garlic paste, some chilly powder and pureed tomatoes. You cook the chopped up lotus stems and add it to the tomato mixture and you have a crunchy, tasty dish.
Triphaladi ghrtam, lavangadhi churnam and sudarshana churnam are some of the traditional ayurvedic preparations which contain lotus rhizomes. Sudarshana churnam, my all-time favourite ayurvedic remedy actually has white lotus rhizomes. A whole pond of white lotuses next to my house is my idea of heaven.
--- The writer was earlier Health Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu and is currently Additional Chief Secretary and Chairman & Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation. She can be reached at Sheelarani.arogyamantra@gmail. com. Earlier articles can be accessed at http://arogyamantra.blogspot.com/