Thursday, 3 June 2010

OFFERING TO A GODDESS


Black Turmeric (Curcuma caesia) is on the verge of extinction in India due to unfavorable climatic changes, deforestration, soil erosion and bio-piracy.  Luckily we managed to plant it in the school Herb Garden. 

In West Bengal, the rhizome of Curcuma Caesia is used during the worship or Puja ceremony for the Goddess Kali. For this reason Curcuma Caesia is called by name Kali Haldi in Bengali or Kala Haldi in Hindi. Since the word Kali, which is attributed to Goddess Kali, literally means black, Curcuma Caesia is vernacularly known as Black Turmeric.

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