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29TKADITIONAL TECIINIQI]E FOK PRDPARATION OFGALBAIOAWALI ABIT Rt AMABKANTAIL MADIIYAPRADESTI

Basanta Kumar Mohanu

IntroductionApproxim ately 80% populations of the developing countries are stilla"p"r,iirrg upon the trad,itional medicine and health care system iil *:"ri j aiff;*nt local plants for thatpurpose (wHo report). This traditionalmedicine is very pop.rlur among the tribal and rural people of India. Theroots, flowers, i"ir"r, stems, brids, fruits etc. of about 8000 plant speciesare used for different medicines (Shukla et'al' 201'0:5)' Since beginning'Amarkantak is famous for the origin of the holy river Narmada andfrerbalmedicines. some of the rare medicinal plants like, gulbakawali (Hedychiumcoronarittm), Brahmi (Centella asiatica) and safed musli (Chlorop-hytum tuberosum-

I Chlorophytum aurandnacium)are found in Amarkantak. The local healer ofAmarkantak extract ark (liquid extracts) from the gulbakawali flower bytheir traditional technique of dittl[ution. Because of the introduction ofmodern technologies, this traditional knowledge system-and technique isvanishing gradui$. Although there are somework on ethnomedicine andother redtEa u"p""t, have alread,y been made (Bondya et.a\.,2009:33-36;Kap ale and Praj ap ati 2012 Kra,mai et. al., 2004:383-3 9 0; M ew ada 2012:23 -25 ;ouania 2oo3; 'shukla et.,al.,2010:5; Singh et.al.,2005: 1-9: Wikipedia;Amarkantak Herbalblogs), but they have not emphasized on the technologyassociated to it. Hence,ln this present paper an attempt has been made todocument this traditional technique of dis[ilation of gulb akaw ali ark,beforeitwashes away totally from the life and culture of the tribal and ruralpeopleof Amarakantak.


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Traditional Technique for Preparation of Gulbokawaliork at Atnarkqntak...

Aims and ObjectivesThese are some important aims and objectives of this present PaPer.(a) To show the distribution of Gulbakawali ark.(b) To document the distillation Process of Gulbakawaltt ark.(c) To show the process of use of Gulbakawahark.(d) To highlight the importance of Gulbakawali ark in ethnomedice.(e) To discuss thp importance of Gulbakawali ark in local economy.

Kesearch MethodologySince 2008 the present author is residing in Amarkantak. From that time heis continuously working among the tribal and rural people of the region.The present paper is the outcomes of that research work. Distiliation ofgulbakawali ark is documented through participation observation,interview, audio and photographic documentations at five different localitiesof Amarkantak. Besides, data are collected from the local healers,gulbakawali distiller, l'endors and users.AmarkantakAmarkantak is an important religious, natural and tribal tourist centre ofcentral India, situated in Anuppur district of Madhya Pradesh. It is located,at 22044' North Latitude, 81054' East Longitude and 1.060.70 MSL, at themeeting point of three important hillranges of Vidyas, Satpura and Mekal.This place is famous for the origin of three important rivers, i.e., theNarmad+ the Sone and the Johila. Presently, it comes under the Achnakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve, which is declared on 11th March, 2005,covering parts of Anuppur and Dindori districts of Madhya Pradesh andBilaspur district of Chhattisgarh. The total area of this Biosphere Reserve is3,835,51 sq. km., out of which an ara of.1.,224,98 sq. km comes inMadhyaPradesh and the remaining 2,610,53 sq. km area comes in Chhattisgarh.Some extremely valuable medicinal plants like gulbakawali (Hedychiumcoronarium) and Kali Haldi (Curcuma caesia Roxburghii), which are now inendangered stage, are found in this Amarkantak area. The Gond, Baigaand Panika are three important tribal groups residing in and around thisAmarkantak. Baiga is one of the Primitive tribe, who is known as traditionalmedicine man of this region. Ear1ier, the people of this Balga tribe weretotally depending upon the forest resources. But now-a-days, they havepartially adapted agriculfure as one of their economy.

351

I


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352 kaditionql Knouiedge System andTechnology in IndiaThe GulbakawaliThe gulbakawali (Hedychium coronarium) is originally from the Himalayas1eq-ion of Nepal and India. It is also known as 'Buiterfly Ginger Lrly; or:\,]/hite Ginger Lily' in English, Dolan Champa in Hindi, ritcnetui angoiba inManipuri, sontakkn in Marathi, suruli sugandhi in Kannada and xalyrnasauganthikam inMalayalam. As the flower of gulbakawali looks like a flyingwhite butterfly, it is called as "white Butterfly Flower,'. Apart from India",this gulbakawali is also found in Brazif Cuba, Malesia and Huwaii etc. InBlazil it is very common and is believed that it was introduced by the Africanslaves who used the leaves of gulbakawali to prepare mattress. It is theNational Flower of Cuba and is known as "Mariposa blanca". It is alsofound in mild wintertemperate regions of NorthAmerica and Europe whereit dies back in winter but re-emerges in spring. It is a tropical perennial anda cousin of culinary gtnger (Zingiber officinale)but it is not edible. The purewhite and showy flower of gulbakawali appears from a large bud duringwinteq, betweenAugust-February. The stem of gulbakawali grows aboutZto 5 feet tall. The life of gulbakawali flower is very short and is last aboutone day. There are hundreds of flowers appear from a single bud in aflowering session which last for a period of about one and half months.After detaching from plant an individual flower does not last even for hours(Gilman 1.999:'l). The details about this Gulbakawali are given in table 29.1.This Gulbakawali is suitable for cultivation on slopes under sub-huniidand sub-temperate condition at an altitude above 11b0 meter from MSL. Itgrows in clay loam s_oils, rich in organic matter (humus) having adequaternoisture, with a slightly acidic to neutral pH, where both the sun tighi andshadow available properly.

Table 29.1: General inlormafion about the GulbakawaliKingdomOrderFamilyGenusSpeciesScientific nameEnglish nameHindi nameSanskritLocal nameHeightSpreadPlant habitGrowth rateTextureLeaf arrangemeniLeaf type

PlantaeZingiberalesZingiberaceaeHedychiumH. coronariumHedychium coronariumWhite ginger lilyDolan ChampaKarchuraGulbakawali4 to 5 feet4 to 5 feetUprightFastCoarseAlternateSimple


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Traditional Technique for Preparation of Gulbokawnliork at Amarkantak... 353Leaf marginLeaf type and persistenceLeaf blade lengthLeaf colourFlower colourFruit shape, length, cover and colourTrunk, bark and branchesStem and twig colour

UndulateDeciduous8 to 12 inchesGreenWhiteUnknownTypically multi{runked or clumping stemsGreen

(Source: Gilman 1999 and Amarkantak Herbal blogs:46 )

Location of Gulbakawali Plants in AmarkantakIn Central India, although it is traced in the different parts of theAchanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere, but it is believed that only thosegulbakawali have the medicinal value which grotv in the high altitude ofAmarkantak. These are found at different moist and shady localities ofAmarkantak which includes, Mai Ki Bagicha, Sonmunda, Kapila Sangam,Jamunadadar, Brigu Kamandal Rudra$anga, Barati, Kapildhara, DudhDhara, Bandha, Kabir Chabutora, Durga Dhara etc. Some of the Vaidyas ortraditional healers like, Mr. Thunnu Singh of Kapila Sangam, Mr. SameswarGiri of Sonmunda, Mr. Satish Bharti of Mai Ki Bagicha, Mr. Gopal Maharajof Jamunadadar, ShriA. Nug*j Sharma of Barati are cultivating gulbakawaliin their gardens. Besides, a large number of gulbakawali plants are alsofound in the Herbal Garden of the State Forest Department, located at KapilDhara Road; KalyanAshram and Chandra Charya Hospital Campus etc.Medicinal Properties of Gulbakawali and their UsesThe gulbakawali plant contains essential oif starch, resins, organic acids,glycosides, albumen, saccharides and chemicals like sitosteroland, furanoid,diterpene-hedychenone and 7 - hydroxyhedychenone. These chemicals arestimulates the carminative, emmenagogue, expectoranf anti-inflammatoryaromatic, astringent, stimulant, stomachic and tonic properties in the plantwhich are very useful in treatment of several ailments and makes itmedicinally very important. This gulbakawali belongs to the ginger familyand is used in a number of traditional medicines all over the world,including Ayurveda and Unani. The ark (liquid extract) from thisgulbakawali of Amarkantak is very famous all over the world. It is used aseye-tonic and is believed that it prevents different types of eye diseasesincluding Motiabind (Cataract). The local tribal and rural people and thetraditional healers of the region are very much aware about the medicinal


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354 Traditional Knowledge System and Technology in Indiavalue of this gulbakawaliark.Therefore, the tourists, coming toAmarkantak,love to take a smallbottle of gulbakawaliark, available in most of the shopsof Amarkantak, along with them. Besides Amarkantak, in India, it is alsofound in Haridwar and some parts of Himalyan region of Uttarakhand,Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Apart from the eye drop, in Chinese nafural rnedicine, it is also usedfor treatment of headache, lancinating pain, contusion, inflammatory andintense pain due to rheumatism etc. Besides, it has a number of medicinalproperties. It is also used as febrifuge, tonic, excitant and anti-rheumatic inthe Ayurvedic system. It is also used to prevent heart, brain and paralysisstroke. It cures the cholesterol problem in the arteries and keeps the bloodflowing to the heart, and other vital organs including the brain. TheAyurvedic and Unani doctors prescribe it to cure several problems relatingto digestive system and fighting local inflammation. It is also able to controlnausea and vomiting. The local traditional healers of Amarkantak prescribethis extract of gulbakawali for eye infection and dandruff. For curingdandruff, this gulbakawali arkis gently rubbed against the scalp.Raw-materialsThe gulbakawalttark is prepared by using either fermented or dried flowers.Besides, a few materials are required for distillation of gulb akawali arkwhichincludes two to three pots of different sizes, pipe (for tube method), bottle,mud paste, thread and fire.Technigues of PreparationThe process of distillation of gulbakawali ark is documented in five differentlocalities, i,e., in the houses of Mr. Thunnu Singh (Kapila Sangam), Mr.Satish Bharti (Mai ki Bagicha), Shri A. Nagraj Sharma (Near Narmadatemple), Mr. Kapil Katare (Near Narmada temple) and at State ForestNursery (Kapildhara Road). In all these localities they extract gulbakawaliarkby distillation. The apparatus used and techniques of distillation hasslightly variation in all these localities. Distillation in first two localities i,e.,in the house of Mr. Thunnu Singb Mr. Satish Bharti is made by close methodand in remaining threei.e., in the house of ShriA. Nug*jSharma, Mr. KapilKatare and at State Forest Nursery, they use tube method. In both of thecases/ i.e., in close method and fube methods, intra variation in techniqueand nafure of raw-material is found from place to place. Mr. 'Ihunnu Singhuses fermented gulbakawali flowers where the others use dry flowers fordistillation and all argues about the better effectiveness of their raw-


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kqditionat Technique for Preparation of Gulbokawaliork at Amarkantak... 355

materials. The intra-variation in technique and type of distillation plantsare discussed in the following Pages.As mentioned earlier, the gulbakawali arkis prepared either from thefermented or dried flowers. On the basis of the method of preparation itcari be divided in to two types, namely, (a) Close method and (b) Tubemethod.On 21* June, 2009, Ms. Ansuya Sonwani, the then'in-charge of the StateForest Nursery atAmarkantak and herAssistant Mr' Puran Singh informedme that they collect gulbakawali flower from their nursery during winteq,and afterdrying them, they store it for future use. According to them, exceptoperated "ur"rithit gulbakawali ark can ctre khuili, motiabind , jolan etc and,o.n" other problemi related to eye. They have their own distillation plantin their t.rti"ry, where they prepare original nrk for customers. But theyalso told that ihis ark'is also prepared some people of Amarkantak forcommercial purpose by mixing phitkiri (alum).Mr. Thunnu singh (aged Tzyears) of Kapila sangam,Amarkantak is anoted tribal healer of the region. He belongs to the Gond tribe who got thisknowledge from his parents on hereditary basis. Now-a-days, he is havinggulbakawali plants in a small patch of land near to his house. He brought itfrom Rudraganga and planted close to his well, about four to five yearsback. But according to him, earlier during his childhood, the entire forest

area of this region was covered with these gulbakawali plants. The Babaand Maharajas had dug out the roots and taken away to their places.Recently, the gulbakawali plants are removed from this place and the landaround his house is converted in to agricultural field. According to him,these gulbakawali plants are exclusively found in Amarkantak andHaridwar. Although, some of the gulbakawali plants are present in thenearby village, located at the foothill of the forest, but the flor,r,'er of theseplants are not so much effective, as it is in Amarkantak, stated Mr.ThunnuSingh.

some people argue about the introduction of this glubakawali plantin India by the Muslim rulers during medieval period. But to falsify thisstatemertt, the present informant Mr. Thunnu Singh told that 'it is not true'.He learnt this knowledge of using gulbakawali ark frorn his parents andwho got it from their ancestors. Strengthening his statement, he argues as,,,presently the Muslims are residing in almost every parts of the country. If,this gulbakawaliwas introduced by the Muslims, then why it is found onlyinAmarkantak and Haridwar, why not in the other parts of the country. Itshould present every locality, where the Musliins are residing"'According to him, although the Amarkantak is famous for this

(


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356 Truditional Knowledge System tmd Technology in Indiagulbakawaliark,btrt now-a-days, except a few places like, the Forest Nurseryand with few healers, the original gulbakawaliatkis rarely available. Peopleused to mix phitkirl (alum) and rock salt and prepare duplicate ark torcommercial purpose. Mr. Thuunu Singh collects the gulbakawali flowerfrom his garden during winter, usually between September and November(Fi9.29.1,). During this three months of harvesting time, he got about 250gm of flower from a single plant and in this way he able to collect aboutfour jars full of gulbakawali flower (about 30 kg) from his garden. Fromthis 30 kg of flower he gets about 05 to 06 kg pure gulbakawali ark. As hismotto is to provide service to the patients and as he is not a businessman,he extract only that much of ark which maintain purity and effective to cureeye disease. But, people who distili for commerciai purpose they extractabout 2A kg of ark from these 30 kg of gulbakawali flowers. According tohim, some people prepare surnw andkajjal by burning the dry leaves of thisgulbakawali piant. Apart from these, he does not know any other use ofthis gulbakawali. A brief description of five different distillation plants aregiven below.

Fig. 29.1 Figure-29.1 : Mr Thunnu Singh collecting Gulbakawali f lowers f rom his garden.


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Traditional Technique for Preparntion ot' Gulbokawaliork at Amarkantok,.. 357(a) Distillation Plant No-l

This distillation plant is located in the house of Mr. Thunnu Singh ofKapila Sangam, Amarkantak. During the harvesting session, each day Mr.Thunnu Singh collects fresh flowers at morning (Fig. 29.2) and stores in a

Fig.29.2:MrThunnu Singh having Gulbakawali flowers in his hand.

iI

Fig, 29.3 : Mr Thunnu Singh putting collected Gulbakawali flowers in jar fir fermentation.


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3s8 Traditional Knowledge System and Technology in Indiaplastic jar and covers its lid tightly (Fi1.29.3 and29.4). The collected flowersare fermented automatically inside that jar. In this way he stores about 10kg of fermented gulbakawali flower in a single jar. Sometimes, he stores itfor one year i.e., from October to October (one harvesting session to anotherharvesting session). According to him, the old fermented flower gives betterresult.

Fig,29,4 : Semi-fermented Gulbakawali flowers in the house of Mr. Thunnu Singh.On request of the present author, Mr. Thunnu Singh has speciallydemonstrated the entire process of distillation in his house at Kapila Sangam,Amarkantak on 10th July,2009. This process took one hour 50 minutes tocomplate. The written, audeographic and videographic documentation ofthe entire process of distillation is made by the present author. The details

of the time utilization were as follows:10.15 AM10.20 AM10"25 AM

Started arranging materials and water for distillation.Sets utensils to prepare ark and puts on hearth.Gulbakawali starts boiling.

10.50 AM : 1"t time changed hot water from top of the utensil (cooler).11.10 AM : 2"d time changed hot water from top of the utensil (cooler)11.50AM : Distillation completed. Unloaded the water from the topof the conical shaped pot and collected distilled

guibakawali ark frorn small pot hanged inside.For distillation Mr. Thunnu Singh, arranges fermented gulbakawaliflower, water and all the required utensils near to his hearth. Then he kept


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about2kgoffermentedflowerinabigpot(asstill)(Fig.'29.5and29.6).After that a small pot (receiver) is hung"a *itr, a string inside the mouth ofthatbigpot(Fig.29.7).Boththeendsofthestringaretightlytiedattheneck of that big pot in such a way that the smalf pot kept inside it andhangs over the fermented flowers. Then a conical based brass pot (cooler)i, pi'"."a on that tfif . Zl.al. It kept in such away,that without touching therim of the small t-rur.,lgir,g pot, the bottom portion of this cooler pot is placed

TraditionalTechniqueforPreparationofGulbokawaliorkqtAruarluntak.., 359

at the top centre of the hanging receiver pot'

Fig. 29.5: Mr Thunnu Singh removing jar for {ermented Gulbakawali flowers for distillation'

I

Fig. 29.6: Mr Thunnu Singh putting fermented Gulbakawali flowers in big pot (still) for distillation


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350 Troditionsl Knowledge System and Technology in Indin

Fi9.29,7 : Hanging of small receiver pot over fermented flower is under process.

Fig. 29.8: Sealing of leakage with thread and mud paste is under process.


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Traditionol Technique for Preparation of Gulbokawaliork at Amarkantsk... gG'L.Then the rim of the big pot (still) and the outer surface of the coolerpot is fixed properly. A thread (which works as a binding material) dippedin wet soil is covered around the rim of that big pot to close the gap.Following to it, the binding material is fixed properly to close the gap at thejoint by pressing a small bamboo flake or stick or fingers (Fig.29.9 and29.1,0). After that the whole set of distillation plant is ptaced carefully onthe hearth. Then the cooler pot is filied with normal water (Fig. 29.11) andthe fire is increased in hearth (Fig.29.1.2)

Fig. 29.9: Pressing of seal with bamboo flake to protect leakage of steam.


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362 Traditional Knoruledge System and Technology in India

Fig. 29.'11: Mr. thunnu singh filling water in cooler pot before distillation.

Fig.29.12: Mr. Thunnu Singh sitting near distillation plant


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Traditional Technique for Preparation of Gulbokawaliork at Amarknntak.., 363As there is a possibility of leakage of steam at the joints, Mr. ThunnuSingh carefully checks the leakages of steam at joint during disttilation. Ifhe founds so, to protect steam, he immediately closes it with soil paste.

sometime, because of the overheating, the steam starts leaking. In that casehe reduces the fire to control heats and leakages of steam. During this boilingthe steam came out from boiling flowers and hits at the base of the conicalshaped cooler pot, which contains water at its top. Then the vapor convertsinto the liquid and drop in that small receiver pot hanging inside the bigpot (iig. 29.1,3 and,29.74). Because of the regular hitting of the hot steam,the r,;*ter of the cooler pot became heated. In such cases, Mr. Thunnu Singhreplaces that hot water with fresh one (Fig. 29.15).In the entire process ofdistillation, he replaces this water for twice. The process of distillationcompleted when this water become hot for the third time. Then he stopsdistiilation by reducing fire and unload the water carefully from that coolerpot (Fig. 29J6). Following to it, he dismantles the distillation plant andcollects distilled gulbakawali ark which stored in the small receiver pothanged inside (Fig.29.17,29.18 and 29.79). After distillation the wastegulbakawali flowers are used as compost (Fig.29.20). Finally he stores thedistilled arkin a container or a bottle (Fig.29.21 and29.22) and as perrequirement it is transferred to small bottles for selling (Fig. 29 .23 and29 .24).The entire process of distillation requires about one and half to two hoursof time. When the present author asked to Mr. Thunnu Singh as, Whathappened, if he continues this process for a long time by changing water

Fig. 29.13: Distillation of gulbakawali under process in the house of Mr. Thunhu Singh.


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364 Traditional Knowledge System and Technology in India

lwffit&rrffiffifiitr,ffil shffip#d,atrffit*r **:ntffi*r. *r$rmall s*t*ist*l'[*d ffi utrhmkmwaliiFmtF*,r emt*dffi,u*kmkmw l$ fl* *rm

Fig. 29.'t4: Layout of the Distillation plant of Mr. Thunhu Singh.

Fig. 29.15: Mr. Thunnu Singh unloading hot water from cooler pot after completion of distillation


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Trqditional Technique for Preparation cf Gulbokazonliork ot Amsrkantak... 365

Fig. 29.16: Mr. Thunnu Singh removing seal of thread and mud paste.

Fig.29.17: Mr.Thunnu Singh waiting till the cooing of distilled gulbakawali ark.


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Traditionol Knoruledge System and Technology in lndia

gls-s.;i

Fig. 29.18: Mr. Thunnu Singh removing receiver pot containing distilled gulbakawali ark.

Fig. 29.19: Distilled gulbakawali ark is ready to use.


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Ti'aditional Technique for Preparatian of Gulbokazoaliork ot Amqrkantak... 367

Fig^ 29.20:Atter distillation the waste gulbakawali flowers


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Traditional Technique for Preparation ot' Gulbokawaliork at Amarkantak... 359

Fig.29.24: Mr. Thunnu Singh checking empty bottles before use'

for several times? , he smiles gentle and replied, see Dada (outof love Mr'Thunnu Singh addresses to the author as Dada ),I am not a businessman. Iam preparing this ark to provide service to the people. If I will continuesthis process for a long time, obviously,I will able to get more gulbakl*4iarkfiomit, but, the quality of that arkwlllnot be up to the mark and wilinot work as good as this one. Some people, who exciusively prepare it forbusiness pr.por", doing it to get more ark. Even some times they mix alumand rock salf with it, which is not good for eye. But, I do not prepare likethis .

After completion of this distillation process, first of all he offers it tohis deities witha request for better effectiveness of this ark.When he wasasked about its reason, he told, Dada, ye dawa nehin he, ye dua he (this onnot a medicine, it is just a blessing). During this worship he spells thisfollowing mantra by the name of different deities, gurus and ancestorsresiding in and around his house, who gave this knowledge to him for thebetterment of the societY.Hey aakash dewta,hey pritibi dew,


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370 kaditional Knowledge System artd Technology in Indiahey aagnhi dewta,hey pawan dew,hey jol dew,hey sawa lakhbanaspati, jhadi,jo, meyen jantra banai rahi huan,j o dawai banai rahi huan,jo netra ki laik,jo bigde huye netra ko banai, sukh de,dahai he Shankar ji ki,aaidya Dhanmanti ki,Vaidy a S ukde o ki, naga B aiga ki,Daopon muni ki."(O, sky deity,o, goddess earth,o, fire god,o, air god,o,water god,o, one lakh twenty fiae thousand flora and roots,machine that I ammaking,medicine that I am preparing for eye,that cures eye diseases and giae happiness,by the names of Lord Shankar,oaidya Dhanmanti,aaidya Sukdeo, naga Baiga,andDaupomuni).

(b) Distillation Plant No-2It is located in the house of Mr. satish Bharti who has a small herbalmedicine shop at Mai ki Bagicha. But he frequently supplies medicine bypost to outside customers. His family members assist him in selling andpreparing different medicines. He has a distillation plant in this house forpreparing gulbakawali ark. Although, they distils gulbakawali ark by closemethod but it is slightly different from the closed method distillation of Mr.lhun1u singh. He uses four utensils of different sizes. out of these, one bigaluminum pot (used as still), one conical shaped brass deep bowl having ismall hole at its base, one small steel bowl for storing distilted gulbakawali

* "+! 91"-big steel pot as cooler. He uses dry flower for this purpose(Fi9.29.25). Prior to use the dry flowers are soaked properly in water. 'ihen


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it is kept along with a little water in a big Po! "te.d as still for distillation'After tirat the"mouth of this bit pot is coveied with a conical shaped-deepbrass bowl. Following to it, two fragment of khappar (local tile/potsherd)u." f."pt around. the liole, at the inner side, of the brass bowl (Fi-g. 29'26)'After that the smali steel receiver bowl is kept on that khappar at the centreof the brass pot in such a way that it leaveJa sPace between them' Thesekhappar makls a space to pasi the- vapor,:9Ti"g from big pot through thenof'" "f brass pot. th"r, a tig steel pot, *hich works'as a cooler, is kept orrrim of that briss bowl. Beciuse of ihis the small steel bowl remains insideif.,"r" t*o pots. Then the joint of steel and aluminum pots is sealed, with a;;1; p."pured from wireat flour, to control leakage of vapo-r d-uri1phirtittuiior., (Fig.29.27). After that the big steel pot.(cooler) is filled withwater and keefs on the hearth. When the gllbakawali flowers startsboiling'the vapor canie out from it, and after patiittg through the hole of the brassbo*l, it trit, at the base of big steel poi contalning water.Then it cools andconvert into iiquid and drops on the smail receiver bowl placed at the centreoi tft" deep brass bowl. T^he process continues for hours (Fig.2-9'28 and2g.2g). ouring this distillation process a Person regularly watchs it andchanges the #ater from cooler *hen it heats. Besides, he also increases ordecrJases the fire to control distillation (Fig' 29'30)' By carefully observingthe dropping sound of the distilled gulbalawali ark they know about the.o*pt"tifn 6f pro."rr. When this diopping sound stops, the distillationpro.i* compieted. Then the carefullyiemove the pots and collect distilledgulbakawali ark from small steel bowl'

Traditional Technique for Preparation of Gulboknwaliork ot Amarknntak,.. 371.

Fig. 29.25: The dried gulbakawali flower kept for distillation in the house of Mr' Satish Bharti'


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372 Trsditional Knowledge System and Technology in India

Fig. 29.26 : Setting of distillation plant in the house of Mr. Satish Bharti. under process. Smallpieces of tile are kept at the either side of the hole of a conical shaple pot

Fig.29.27: Joint of pot is sealed with a paste made of wheatflour.


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Traditionerl Technique for Preparation of Gulboknwaliork at Amarksntnk...

Fig. 29.28: Distillation plant of Mr. Satish Bharti.

tW#e,rrff#ni*ml whmp*#lms#,t,#r ff#ffitffi*fi1*r

373

ffimmll ffiffitffiiste![*d ffiuilfu km mlfiFmt

gFmrm,*mt*'ffiulbmkmwali fl*w*rm

Fig. 29.29 r Layout of the Distillation plant of Mr. Satish Bharti.


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374 Troditionnl Knowledge System ond Technology in India

Fis. 2e.30 : Author with informant ,.Jfjlr?,Tr:1i?"dr5fijr" distiilation ptant of Mr. Satish(c) Distitlation ptant No-E

It is located in the house of shri A. Nagraj sharma, near the NarmadaT:1p1" The process of distiliation in this plant is documented on 25,h March,2010. Here, the distillation of gulbakawali arkismade by tube method. Forthis,,one big aluminilm pot as still, one brass bucket as cooler, one smallbowl as converter, one discharge pipe, one pipe to supply water for coolingand one bottle for storing distilled gurbakawari ark'are-required. Like thIprevious one, here the dry gulbakawali flowers are soaked in water beforeits use and then those are kept in a big aluminum pot. on heating, the vaporcame out from the boiling flowers and hits to the covered bor.il piacej atfhl top of thjs big ahrminum pot. A brass bucket, having a circulir hole atits base, is placed on that bowl and filis with fresh wateithrough a pipe. Asmall pipe is fixed at the base of this bucket to drains out the heai water.During the entire process of distillaiion, the water of cooler bucket isrecycled. The hot water drain out through the pipe fixed at the bottom ofthe bucket and fill with fresh water through ,noih". pipe attached at thetop of the cooier bucket. This water helps to convert the vapor in to liquidwhich came out from the covered bowfthrough a channel pipe and stiresin a bottle fitied at the other end of the pipe.Like the previous one, here


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Traditional Technique for Preparation of Gulbokawaliork at Arnarkantsk.aiso the joint of pots are closed rvith mud paste and maintain heatcontrolling fire (Fig. 29.31, and32).

Fig. 29.32: The author interviewing Mr. Kuwarlal Verma, the worker engaged in distillation ofGulbakawali ark, in the house of Shri A. Nagraj Sharma.

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Fig.29.31 : Tube method Distillation plant of Shri A. Nagraj Sharma.


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376 Trnditional Knotuledge .System and Technology in India(d) Distillation Plant No-4

This distillation plant is found in the house of Mr. Kapil Katare, nearthe Narmada temple at Amarkantak. The distillation of gulbakawali ark inthis plant was documented on 25'h March,2009. Here, the gulbakawali arkis distilled by tube method, for which some modern utensils, scientificequipment and gas cylinder are used. Except this modern equipment allthe process is same as it is found in the house of Mr. Nagraj Sharma. Here,a pressure cooker is being used as still, glass ware is used as cooler, gascylinder and stove is used to provide heat to pressure cooker. A bucket fullof water is kept about one foot high of the cooler. Fresh water from bucketcame through a piastic pipe io cooler. This cooler is made of glass ware andpossesses two passages, one for vapor and the other for water. When thegulbakawali flower boils in pressure cooker, it converts into vapor and cameout throup;h a pipe fixed at the top of the lid and entered in the cooler. Thepresent water in cooler helps to convert vapor in to liquid and which dropsin bottle kept under this cooler (Fig.29.33 and29.34). The distiller believesthat, it gives better result than the other discussed above.

Fig- 29.33: Distillation plant of Mr. Kapil Katare, in his house at Amarkantak


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Traditionol Technique for Preparation of Gulbokoualiork at Amarknntak... 377

Fig.29.34 : Documentation of distillation ,.i".a."iJl""trouse of Mr. Kapil Katare at Amarkantak is(e) Distillation Plant No-5

The state Forest department is having a Herbal Garden at KapildharaRoad, Amarkantak where hundreds of medicinal plants are available forselling. Besides, they also have a small shop at the Nursery where they selldifferent herbal medicines and forest products. They have their owndistillation plants at that place for extracting gulbakawali nrk. Keeping inmind the market demands they prepare gulbakawaharkintheir plant. Theyuse modern scientific device for the distillation process which possessesboiler made of quartzglass and condenser which is heated with an automaticelectric heater specially designed for it (Fig. 29.35). They directed supplyrunning tape water through a pipe for cooling. The remaining process issame as the other tube method of distillation of gulbakawali ark.Case Study-f

Apart from the documentation of this distiliation, some data have alsobeen collected related to the distillation and use of gulbakaw ali ark from thelocal healer and users through interview and case study. A case study ofsuch distillation and use of gulbakawali is presented here.


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378 Traditional Knowledge System and Technology in lndia

Fig. 29.35: Ms. Ansuya Sonwani, the then in-charge of Forest Nursery, Amarkantak explaining thedistillation process to Anthropology students of the IGNTU, Amarkantak.Date of DocumentationName of the Informant

VillageMode of DocumentationMethod of Data collection

5th March, 2010Mr. Bachanlal Viswakarma (Male, 38years) and his wife Mrs RamkaliViswakarmaMai ki Bagicha (Amarkantak)Audio, and WrittenInterview

Mr. Bechanlal Viswakarma has a small tea shop at Mai ki Bagicha,Amarkantak. Mrs. Ramkali Viswakarma is the wife of Mr. BechanlalBiswakarma. Both husband and wife run their shop. Mrs RamkaliViswakarma has a good knowledge of ethno-medicines. They Mr. MrsViswakarma do not have gulbakawali plants in their house. They purchasethe dried gulbakawali flowers from outsource and distilled ark in their house.At the time of interview on 6th March, 2010, Mrs. Ramkali Viswakarma toldthat they have purchased some dried gulbakawali flowers from village


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Traditional Techni4ue for Preparation of Gulbokawaliork at Amarkantak... 379

Bargarh, located near Rajendragram, about 40 km from Amarkantak. Forthis they had Paid Rs. 2/- per flower. Sometirnes, a Babaji also suppliedaried these dried gulbakawali flowers at Amarkantak in the same rate.According to her, one liter gulbakawali nrk, costing Rs. 1,900/-, can beextracted from 250 gm gulbakawali flower. For this, prior to distillation,they soak the dried flowers in water for about one to three days. After thatthey boil these socked flowers in a closed pot for distillation. Mrs.Viswakarma further stated that both the fermented and dried flowers givethe same result. but because of the fermentation tlne gila (wet) flowers donof last for a long time on the other hand the dried flowers lasts yearswithout any loss or change.MarketingAs mentioned earliel, the marketing of gulbakawali ark is very easy.Small bottles of about 50 ml to 100 ml gulbakawali ark are easily available atthe rate of Rs 20/- to50/ - perbottle withvenders and leading shops, locatedat the main market of Amarkantak, bus stop, Kapildhara, Sonmunda, Maiki Bagicha, Jain Mandir etc. One can also directly purchase it from themanulacturers or oaidyas or from the Forest Nursery. Some shopkeeper ofPendra Road, Raiendragram, Karanjia and Keonchi and other nearbyvillages are also selling it. Some traders and vaidyas also send it throughparcel post on request. But, at the time of purchasing, care should be takenibout the quality of ark. Sometimes, alum and rock salt mixed duplicate arkis also prepared by some people for commercial purpose which is easilyavailable in open market. Therefore, it is suggested to purchase this arkdirectly from the noted vaidyas. Before use, people should take properadvices from the doctors and vaidyas.Conclusion

The gulbakawali possesses an important medicinal value and curesdifferent eye diseases. It is found in some specific areas of India. Now-a-days, the gulbakawah ark of Amarkantak is gaining more PoPularity becaus eof the developed communication commutation for both domestic andinternational tourists. But on the other hand, because of the fastdeforestation, increasing population, decrease in ground water level,conversion of forest land into agriculfural land, unauthorized occupationat the swampy areas and river banks, the number of gulbakawali plants aredecreasing gradually. Similarly, in the earlierdays,theaaidyas were used todistil it in their house and giving only to those patients who were sufferingfrom eye diseases. But, now-a-days, it is prepared by different people forcommercial purpose without maintain the quality. As this gulbakawali plantis in endangered state, it is suggested to plant more and more plants in the


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380 Traditional Knowledge System and Technology in Indiqgardens of each and every houses and open land located close to watersource to protect this rare plant before it vanishes completely.

AcknowledgementsThe authores express his gratitude to Mr. Thunnu Singh, Ms. Ansuyasanwani, the then in charge of Forest Nursery at Amarlantak and herassistant Mr. Puran Singh and local informants who have provided datarelated to this present work. Sincere thanks are also due tb Mr. RupeshKapale, Assistant Professor of Botany, Indira Gandhi National riiuatUrriversity, Amarkantak for providing reiated literafure to prepare this paper.The author is also thankful to his students Mr. Suraj Prasad 'Augi,Mi. RaviNapit, Mr. Suraj Sahu, Ms. Priya Sharma (the grand daughter of Shri A.Nagrajsharma, a noted uaidya of Amarkantak) and Ms. Premwati vaishnowand Ms. Saraswati vaishnow (the nieces of vaids Satish Bharti of Mai kiBagicha) for their help during collection of data from various localities ofAmarkantak. Howeveq, the author is responsible for any mistake.

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Faculty of Social sciences, Indira Gandhi National Tribal university, Amarkintak(M.P),PP.23-25'oudhia, Pankaj 2003 GulbakawaLi (Hedychium coronarium, family Zingiberaceae) asMedicinal Herb in Chhattisgarlr, lndia. wzota.botanical.com Research Notes.shukla, A.N., s.K. Srivastava and B. Kumar 201,0 Hedychium coronqrium J. Konig(Zingiberaceae) in Achankmar-Amrrkantk Biosphere Reserve, Central India. EMVI}Neusletter 15 (2):5.Singh, Lalji, Bhavna Sharma, Rashmi Agrawal and Sunil Puri 2005 Diversity of Dominanceof a Tropical moist Deviduous Forest in Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary. Bulletin ofNational Institute of Ecology 1.5:1.-9.Wikip edia Hedychium coronariumGulbokarvali Amarkantak Herbal blogs http://Amarkantakherbals.com/herbal-

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