Medicinal and Aromatic Plants - vol 45 - Turmeric- The Genus Curcuma

Turmeric — The Golden Spice of Life 9
days. Turmeric water is of great importance in many occasions. During the worship of goddess
Kali, ablutions with turmeric water are considered sacred.
Turmeric has gone so deep into the cultural heritage of the Indian community that a separate
icon, known as haridra ganesha (Turmeric Ganesha) came into existence. In such worship, people
(especially the tribal and rural people of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh) in some occasions
worship Ganesha in the form of turmeric rhizome, which indicates how strong the association is
between turmeric and the people of the region. Similarly, Telugu people make a cone with turmeric
powder and worship it as goddess Gowrie during the Dasara festival. They throw rice or jowar
(Sorghum grains) colored yellow with turmeric to bless the newly wed couples.
Turmeric is treated as Mangalaprada — which brings prosperity. The term Mangala also is a
synonym of turmeric (in Sanskrit), which means auspicious. Mangala devata is goddess Sree
Parvathy. Because of the above-mentioned associations, turmeric is regarded as dear to goddess
Lakshmy and Parvathy. This may be the reason for considering turmeric as an essential substance
in marriage ceremonies and other auspicious occasions.
In Durga (a form of goddess Parvathy) temples, a mixture of turmeric and lime is commonly
used. In Kali (or Durga) worship, gurusi (or kuruthi — a form of worship in which in olden times
animal sacrifice was in vogue) is practiced using turmeric water mixed with lime, which gives a
deep red color similar to blood. The turmeric–limewater mix is used daily in most Durga temples
during worship. The dark red liquid may also symbolize the victory of good over evil, and the
myth of Durga slaying the evil demon king Darika.
There is a school of thought that the auspicious or sacred association attributed to turmeric is
the direct outcome of Sun worship in one form or the other. The idea of festivity connected with
the color yellow, through its association with the Sun, has given turmeric an erotic significance.
This is another reason why yellow is the chief color at weddings and in the relation between sexes.
Apart from the custom of smearing the body with turmeric at weddings, garments dyed or marked
at the corners with turmeric color are considered lucky and to possess protective powers.
Turmeric is mentioned in Ramayana as one of the eight ingredients of Arghya, a respectful
oblation made to gods and venerable men. All the religious customary practices in the temples are
associated with turmeric and turmeric powder. In rituals like Homa and Pooja, as well as in snake
worship, elaborate tantric designs (kalam) are prepared with turmeric powder, rice powder, etc.
Kalams are intricate designs of gods, goddesses, serpents, or demons, prepared by using natural
dyes (Figure 1.1). Turmeric powder is used for yellow color; turmeric mixed with lime is used for
creating the red color. Such kalams are, in fact, beautiful creations of art.
Turmeric has played an important role in curing disease too. When smallpox and chickenpox
were prevalent, turmeric powder and neem leaves were the antiseptics used for the healing of
eruptions on the skin. Before taking a bath, the patients were invariably smeared with turmeric
paste and then bathed in water boiled with neem leaves. Ash of turmeric rhizome was applied to
the skin for healing the eruptions. In such practices, it was not only the antiseptic property that
was made use of, but also the strong belief of the association of goddess Durga with the disease
such as smallpox and chickenpox.
1.6 IMPORTANT RELATED SPECIES
There are many species of Curcuma, which are related to turmeric and are economically useful,
mostly as herbal or tribal medicine. The main ones are the following:
1.6.1 C. AMADA ROXB. (MANGO GINGER)
C. amada Roxb is endemic to South Asia, which is found wild in many parts of Northeast and in
the hills of South India. Cultivated for its edible rhizome, it has the flavor of green mango and is