Sakthi Foundation - Pancha Bhoota Healing

The medicinal and neutraceutical potential of the ancient rice strain, which is called Sastika (shashtika) in Sanskrit and Njavara (navara) in Malayalam was known since the period of Susruta and Charaka, the great progenitors of Ayurveda”. (According to an article on rice written by Dr. Y.L. Nene, Managing Editor of Asian Agri-History, quarterly, in the Souvenir issued on this occasion, “Shastika means a rice that is harvested within sixty days of sowing. He places Charaka, the ancient medicine man as living in 700 B.C. and Susruta, the surgeon, in 400 B.C).

The researchers added: “Ayurvedic scholars of Kerala have developed a variety of health conducive practices in the past using Njavara grains. Njavara cultivation is geographically restricted to Kerala and no other medicinal rice is used in the world as widely as Njavara is used in Ayurveda. Njavarakizhi— a rejuvenating and restoring therapy and an acclaimed remedy for rheumatism, and neural disorders and Shashtika anna lepa—pasting of Njavara grains cooked in milk on the whole body are the two important health care system using Njavara grains. In addition, Njavara grains have been traditionally recommended to the emaciated and debilitated and Keralans consume Njavara grains as Karkidakakanji or Marunnukanji—a porridge prepared out of the Njavara grains and certain other herbals—as a replenishing health drink during the month of Karkkidakun (July-August).”

“Njavara-based practices have attracted people world over and are the main centre of attraction in Ayurvedic tourism. Consequently, Njavara grains have good demand and market value.”

However, another group of researchers from Kerala, this time from the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Pattambi, in their paper on “Potential and prospects of medicinal rice with special references to Navara” has recorded several rice varieties grown in Chhattisgarh too as having medicinal properties. The researchers are P. V. Balachandran, S. Leena Kumary, Rose Mary Francies and Jiji Joseph.

They say: “In Chhattisgarh, many of the traditional varieties are reported to have medicinal properties. Collection surveys made during the (nineteen) seventies by Richaria (a well-known rice breeder of Madhya Pradesh, U.P. and later Chhattisgarh),and in the late (nineteen) nineties by Das &Oudhia have led to the identification of more than 50 medicinal rice varieties. It is reported that the variety Aalcha is used for treatment of pimples while Baissor is used for chronic headache and epilepsy and Gathuhan, Karhani and Kalimooch respectively for treatment of rheumatism, paralysis and skin diseases.

“In the Jeypore tract of Orissa, the rice varieties Meher, Saraiphul and Danwar” are reported to be used by the local tribal people against various ailments. The Uttara Kanada district of Karnataka (there are) presence of two medicinal rice varieties, Atikaya and Kari Bhatta. While Atikaya is used as a health tonic, Kari Bhatta is used as a cure against skin infections.”

“These researchers too mention about the medicinal properties of not only the Navara variety but also Cbhmennelu and Rakhtashali saying that “it is believed that the Njavara variety, which matures in sixty days, has the medicinal property of redressing tridosha (the Ayurvedic term for imbalance in body humors) the root cause of body ailments. This rice has the unique capability to enrich body elements, to exclude toxic metabolites, to strengthen, regenerate and energise body, to regulate blood pressure and to prevent skin diseases and premature ageing…”