[Assam] Nahar phoole Nuxuwai, kapou.....

[DR BIKASH KUMAR DAS]

Friends,
I just wanted to change the hot topics to lighter one, but with informative to all as well in medical values that we never knew or we did ignored. Late Bishnu Rabha did realised about it, but who listens to him?So he sang that famous song for Nahar- " Nahar phoole nuxuwai, kapou phoole xuwaba...." He is also no more to ask why he did selected this specific tree or flower??
I have the answer now. As long ago I did mentioned how Koch kings and Ahoms did fight using Nahar seed for guriella warfare and chased Mughals at night, while then till 1826 no guns was available.My father even did studied using Nahar seed as lights to burn for longer.The kings palace/army camps was lighted by using Nahar seed.Now more are here :-Latin name or Botanical name Mesua ferrea is called as Ceylon ironwood, Indian rose chestnut, Cobra's saffron or locally, Penaga Lilin or Nahar ( commonly in Assam as it only exist) is a species in the family Clusiaceae. The plant is named after the heaviness of its timber and cultivated in tropical climates for its form, foliage, and fragrant flowers. It is native to tropical Sri Lanka, North lower Assam, Indochina, and the Malay Peninsula.English name: Ironwood, Sanskrit name-Nagakesara,Nagapushpa,Keshara and in Hindi Nagkesar or Nageswar. It is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree up to 13 m tall, often
 buttressed at the base with a trunk up to 90 cm in diameter. It has simple, narrow, oblong, dark green leaves 7-15 cm long, with a whitish underside; the emerging young leaves are red to yellowish pink and drooping. The flowers are 4-7.5 cm diameter, with four white petals and a centre of numerous yellow stamens.
The National Ironwood Forest is a 96 ha (238 acre) forest in Sri Lanka where Mesua ferrea trees dominate the vegetation. It is said that during King Dappula IV's period (8th century AD) this forest was created and the remaining trees are the shoots of it. Hence it is considered the oldest manmade forest in Sri Lanka. According to botanists this is the only ironwood forest in the dry zone with wet zone vegetation.
Symbolism and uses: It is the National tree of Sri Lanka. The wood is very heavy, and is used for railroad ties and structural timber. Its resin is slightly poisonous, but many parts have medicinal properties.it enhances the complexion.It leads to fragility transparency to the skin.

Main constituent:- The stamens which yield the drug Nagakesara contain Mesuferrone A & B,Mesuaferrol,Mesuanic acid, a & beta amyrin,beta sitosterol. Seed and the heartwood is rich in Xanthones & Coumarins.
Pharmacology: Xanthones isolated from the plant given orally or intraperitonially shown significant anti inflammatory activities in normal as well adrenolectomised rats. The Ethanolic extract of the plant showed diuretic & hypotensive effects. Volatile oil from the flowers showed antibacterial, anti fungal & anti anthelmintic actions.
Clinical Study: Essential oil (1) from the stamen: anti fungal actions against C tropicals,(2) from Seed – Antifungal actions against a large number of Pathogenic fungii. Phenolic extract of seed oil revealed potent anti asthamatic effects.
Indication: Oil from the flower is anti bacterial, anti fungal & anti anthelmintic. Significant anti inflammatory & styptic actions.
Sorrowfully so many Naharbari exists in Assam. that was only specialised for cultivating Nahar tree, its only Srilanka to maintain its status as national tree !! My heart do go to only late Bishnu Rabha, whom was chained in open like Saddam Hussein during China war at Tezpur by then Govt.
Anyone will say more on Nahar please??
 
Bikash Kumar Das
Bangalore
www.rjadventures.org



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