Friday, December 26, 2008

ब्राह्मी (Gotu Kola) herb

Recently horticulture has occupied my mind and I hope to cultivate some great natural herbs in my garden. One of them that captured my mind is Gotu Kola. In Hindi, it's called Brahmi. I remember from my childhood that we used to buy Brahmi Amla Oil for our hair.

Seen in the picture on the left, Brahmi is a great herb for the brain. It can calm and soothe our nerves. It's scientific name is Centella Asiatica. It has been traditionally used in Ayurved as a medicinal herb to treat mental fatigue, skin diseases and stomach ailments etc. It can be used and taken as powder, tea, paste or in supplements. My grandfather was an expert in herbal medicines and I hope I can bring those experiences alive through my efforts.

More on other herbs later...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

cultivating Brahmi Amla-herb in home will calm nerves & is indoctrinate that needs dedicated attention similar to sacred "Tulsi" herb cultivated at home entrance & worshiped in Indian mythology. Ayureda-meaning Science of life & longevity , in Sanskrit.It is believed to be 5000years old & based on three basic life forces or doshas. Ayurveda medicine spread with Hindu culture to indonesia & picked up by Greek Physcians; & in recent years spread to USA.
May this Happy New Year-2009 accelerate your efforts in enliving the expertise of herbal medicine practiced by your Grandfather.

Rabbit said...

Hello there! I'm growing a couple of Gotu Kola plants in my backyard.

I'm still propagating them although I am planning to throw some leaves into a salad because I've read of the benefits of eating the plant.

Do you have personal experiences related to eating Gotu Kola? And how does it taste? I heard that it tastes awful. Is that true?