OUR RELIGIOUS AND MEDICINAL PLANTS-4 NEEM TREE.

OUR RELIGIOUS AND MEDICINAL PLANTS-4

NEEM TREE.

  Neem in Hindu Religion:

 The Hindus on the first day of Chaitra Masam worship the Neem and eat its leaves, mixed with pepper and sugar, as a safeguard from fever. The neem tree besides having various medicinal benefits is a highly revered tree among the Hindus because it is a manifestation of "Goddess Durga" or "Maa Kali". That is why the tree is sometimes referred to as Neemari Devi. Tamil Ladies, while worshiping Maa kali dress in red, carry branches of the Neem tree, and dance in public places swishing the branches as an act of exorcism and to purify the world. The multi-headed occult goddess Yellamma  sometimes assumes the appearance of a young neem tree. Young maidens worship this Goddess by cladding themselves all over in neem branches. In Bengal, neem is considered to be the tree which is the abode of "Sitala" (the great Pox-mother who can cause or cure disease). The customary treatment of pox is therefore to rub the body with neem leaves while making prayers to Sitala. It is also said that the smoke of burning neem protects both the living and the dead from evil spirits.   Gudhi Padwa festival is especially dedicated to the worship of Lord Brahma. Maharashtrians see the gudhi as a symbol of victory associated with the conquests of the Maratha forces lead by the great hero Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Traditionally, families are supposed to begin the festivities by eating the bittersweet leaves of the neem tree. Sometimes, a paste of neem leaves is prepared and mixed with ajwain, gur, and tamarind. All the members of the family consume this paste, which is believed to purify the blood and strengthen the body’s immune system against diseases. 

  People in many villages in south India continue to live by the belief that their traditional practices, rituals and superstitions will invariably help them lead a better life. In one such instance, people in a Coimbatore village organised a symbolic wedding of a Neem and Banyan tree on June 2009 to appease Rain God. 

Indra - the king of Celestials - bestowed neem with its incredible power while returning to heaven on a sacred white elephant after retrieving a golden pot of ambrosia from the demons. He spilled the ambrosia on a neem, making it a tree blessed with virtuous qualities that could remove all diseases. In another story, insects are said to be the creation of evil demons, and neem protects people from them by weakening the insect's life patterns.

The Vedas, the oldest of the Hindu sacred texts and the basis of the Ayurvedic tradition, detail the use of neem as a medicinal herb. Brihat Samhita, the ancient text written by Varahamihira (505 AD) and sometimes called "the encyclopedia of Indian Culture," includes a chapter on medicinal herbs that highly recommends neem.  In Sanskrit, neem is translated as "nimba" and becomes the basis of an ancient saying "nimbati ivasthyamdadati," or "Neem, to give good health." Another ancient name is "Sarvo Roga Nivarins" - or "the curer of all ailments."

Thousands of years later, neem still plays an important role in healthcare and religion in many Indian households to such a degree that it's almost "cradle-to-grave" healthcare insurance. For instance, families often bathe new-born babies in water that has been boiled with neem leaves because of its medicinal and refreshing qualities. In South India, when a mother leaves a baby unattended, she often leaves a small twig of neem leaves near the baby for protection. Thousands of Indians use neem twigs to brush their teeth every day (a tradition recognized by the Indian subsidiary of international giant Unlived that created a neem-based toothpaste).

Another ritual called the "Ashwatta Narayana Puja" is used by couples who want to conceive a child. They perform a "marriage" of neem and the banyan tree and go around these seven times every morning for seven days.

Other ventures may start by propitiating Lord Vigneshwara to remove obstacles and for the smooth completion of the event. For the Siddhi Vinayaka Puja twenty types of flower are offered at the feet of the Lord, including neem flowers.

At funerals, the Puranas urge that family and friends chew neem leaves to protect against lingering infections, and spread more leaves at the threshold of the house where the death occurred - a tradition based on neem's healing powers and dating back to the days when many people died in epidemics.

Rural residents of India have a festival called "ghatashapana" in which neem leaves are used to sanctify the water-pot. The Gamits of Gujarat offer neem juice to God, and then cattle and lastly take it themselves.

Many Hindus around the world celebrate the New Year or ugadhi or Chaitra Vishnu, which comes in March/ April when the Sun enters the sign of Aries, by eating the bitter leaves of neem with a little jaggery to symbolize acceptance of the good with the bad. The tradition also signals the beginning of a season when neem is to be used regularly, since the period after the onset of the New Year is the season when Pitta dosha is aggravated. As per the Ayurvedic tradition, Neem helps to keep Pitta in check.

  Mahatma Gandhi was a believer in neem. Prayer meetings he conducted at the Sabarmati Ashram were held under a neem tree and a neem leaf chutney was a part of his everyday diet.

People all over India worship neem tree. The Hindu goddess Arulmigu Mariamman is synonymous with the neem tree and is worshipped for her curative powers. In many communities neem leaves are hung in bunches at the entrance to the house as a symbolic way to keep out infestations and evil spirit.