‘Medicinal plants can have magical effects’

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

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Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 7

Jithey bana, basuti te barey; othey banda kyun marey (where there are plants such as bana, basuti and barey, no one could die there). Roshan Lal Sharma (66) of Surya Enclave explains the importance of medicinal plants by remembering this old saying.

Sharma is a retired defence personnel who had grown nearly 150 types of medicinal plants in his home and at vacant plots and has also developed a herbal garden in his residential society. Sharma, who is the general secretary of the Surya Enclave Welfare Society, said his society members help him a lot in the work.

“The herbal garden project could get accomplished because of their efforts,” Sharma said.

He started growing plants in 2009.

He said it was difficult for anyone to get such plants which were in abundance at herbal garden here. Sharma’s grandfather was a ‘vaidya’ and he said this was the reason why he developed interest in the same. He said giving away such helpful plants to people gives him immense happiness.

He is now fondly called as ‘Herbal uncle’ in his locality. Not only has he grown the plants on his plot, but also at many other vacant plots in the surrounding areas.

Talking about the present cenario where people are falling prey to numerous diseases,he said such plants could prove to be a blessing as one could get rid of these ailments by consuming leaves, stem or kara.

He has got plants which controls diabetes such as insulin, madhunashni, stevia, ashvagandha and sada bahar, besides, the plants which give maximum nutrition like moringa, which is also known as sahajna, drumstick, etc.

He said anyone could come and take these plants and that too free of cost. He also advises people to eat leaves of a particular plant if one was suffering from a certain problem or disease.

Also, if anyone comes to his home, he serves hot herbal tea made of lemon grass, tulsi, kari ptta, etc, and leaves of stevia from his garden are used in place of sugar.

Sharma said one could save himself from any illness if they have such magical plants around them.