Interactions with the traditional healers of Bagbahera region specialised in use of Gondla (Cyperus rotundus) as medicine

Research Note - Pankaj Oudhia
© 2001,2002,2003 Pankaj Oudhia - All Rights Reserved

Gondla or Gondla jadi is not a new name for the natives, traditional healers and herb traders of Chhattisgarh. Although in reference literatures related to Agriculture sciences, Gondla is mentioned as one of the obnoxious weeds but for the natives of Chhattisgarh, it is a gift of mother nature and a valuable source for additional income for them. In many parts, it occur as crop weed, and compete with crops for light, moisture and nutrient. The farmers are aware of the facts that once established it is very difficult to eradicate this herb from crop fields. According to the weed scientists, even lethal weedcides and solarization methods are not enough to eradicate this weed from crop field. The removal of one part result in more fast multiplication and it emerges from other parts. This hydra headed herb is a headache for the weed scientists. But when we think from different angle or consider it as valuable herb in place of weed. These minus points look like plus points. Fortunately, most of the farmers consider it as valuable herb. The farmers of Ambikapur region, feel no problem at seeing the Gondla infested crop fields. They are aware of the fact that the nuts of Gondla are delicious food for the pigs, their domestic animals. They allow the pigs in Gondla infested field and the pigs eat the nuts at considerable depth easily. Their movements pulverize the soil and helps in uprooting of shallow rooted weeds. The farmers living in forest regions are aware that the local traders give fair price for the Gondla herb. They collect the herb and sell it to local traders. This management through utilization, concept is helping these farmers in many ways. This concept is making the crop fields free from weeds (without the use of lethal agrochemicals, a potential threat to our ecosystem ) and getting an additional income from these so called waste plants. You will be surprised to know that Gondla is in list of non-wood forest produces having heavy demand in national and international drug markets. Thousands of families in Chhattisgarh are dependent on this herb for their livelihood. Although the farmers and herb collectors are not getting very high prices due to lack of awareness, but they have no complaint. According to them it is enough to provide an additional income and there are many herbs grow in different seasons, like Charota, Bemchi, Kukronda etc. are enough to provide sufficient income.

Few years back, I got on opportunity to visit Saharanpur region of Uttar Pradesh, a neighbouring state. The traders of this region, are well aware of Nagar Motha ( Hindi name of Gondla) suppliers of Chhattisgarh. This region is known for essential oils and perfume industries. This is bitter fact that there is not a single processing unit in Chhattisgarh for extraction of essential oil from Gondla herb. The traders supply the wet raw material to neighbouring state and the processor extract the oil and again the consumers buy it at very high rates. They are paying the high price for this value addition. With the help of innovative industrialists, I am trying my best to motivate them to start advanced processing unit in the state. I am sure that these local units will give more returns to the farmers and collectors engaged in collection of Gondla herb. This is very positive sign that the natives and traditional healers of Chhattisgarh are well aware of different medicinal uses of Gondla and they are still using it in their day today life. Many traders informed me that beside perfumery industries, many reputed drug companies also purchase this herb in bulk. The farmers of many parts, sell the collected herb to the traditional healers instead of traders. They informed me that the healers give higher prices as compared to the traders but they purchase it in small quantities. The herb vendors of Chhattisgarh play a vital role as a link between the farmers and traditional healers. The natives collect different parts for their use, directly from crop fields. In present article, I am describing the result of my ethnobotanical surveys focused on traditional healers of Bagbahera region of Chhattisgarh, specified in use of Gondla as medicine. Bagbahera region is one of the prominent regions, rich in natural population of Gondla and also a market place for its supply in national and international markets. At first I am describing its botany and reported medicinal uses, I have noted from the reference literatures. Over 60 species of Cyperus are reported in India. In Chhattisgarh, I have identified 26 species. The botanical differences among major Cyperus species are given in Table-1. Botanically, Gondla is a glabrous herb, stolons elongate, bearing hard ovoid tunicate fragrant tubers, 08-2.5 cm, stem sub solitary 10-75 cm; Leaves shorter or longer than the stem, narrowly linear; Flowers in simple or compound umbel, rays 2-8 bearing short spikes of 3-10 spreading red brown spikelets; Nut broadly ovoid, trigonous, greyish black. As medicine Gondla holds a reputed position in different systems of medicine in India. According to Ayurveda, roots are pungent, acrid, cooling, astringent, appetiser, stomachic, anthelmintic and useful in leprosy, thirst, fever, blood diseases, biliousness, dysentery, pruritis, pain, vomiting, epilepsy, ophthalmia, erysipelas etc. According to Unani system of medicine, root is diuretic, emmenagogue, diaphoretic, anthelmintic, vulnerary and useful for ulcers, sores, fevers, dyspepsia, urinary concretions etc. The tuber yields an essential oil (0.5 - 0.9 5) and used in perfumery and incense making.

As mentioned earlier, the natives and traditional healers of Bagbahera region have rich traditional medicinal knowledge about Gondla. They use it in treatment of over 20 common and complicated diseases, both internally and externally. In most of the cases, it is used in combination with other herbs and in rare cases, the traditional healers of Bagbahera region use it alone. I am describing some promising traditional uses. The traditional healers use the Gondla roots as memory tonic with Bramhi (Bacopa sp.), sonth (dried ginger) and Babool gond (Acacia gum). All herbs are mixed in equal quantities and given to the patients internally. They give this combination upto seven days only. In treatment of Chapaki (Urticaria), the traditional healers prepare special herbal combination using Gondla roots, Bemchi (Psoralea corylifolia), Sonth, Kali Mirch (Black Piper), Akarkara (Spilanthes acmella), Bhelwa (Semecarpus anacardium), Shahad (Honey) and give it to the patients internally, continuously upto six months. During field work in rainy season or visit to forest areas, when the natives come under attack of Jonk (leeches) and when it attacks on throat, the natives use Gondla. They simply collect the roots and chew a part of the fresh root. According to them, the sharp smell of Gondla root piece, repel away the Jonk. This was new information for me. In case of severe cough, the traditional healers use the Gondla in popular herbal combinations. They also use the mixture of Gondla and Mulhati (Glycyrrhza glabra) and give it with Shahad (Honey).

In combination with rose petals, Aonla (Emblica officinalis), Nimbu (lemon) and other herbs, the traditional healers use Gondla herb in treatment of stomach related diseases. For treatment of diarrhoea, it is used with Chitrak (Plumbago zeylenica), Indrajau (Wrightia tinctoria), Bel (Aegle marmelos), Dhawai phool (Woodfordia fruticosa), Lodhrh (Symplocos paniculata) etc. The traditional healers also use Gondla with Urai (Vetiver), Dhania (Coriander) and Bel fruit pulp in treatment of diarrhoea. Both combinations are given till complete cure. In first combination, all herbs are mixed and mixture is given to the patients whereas in second combination, all herbs are boiled in water and decoction is prepared. This decoction is used internally. The healers informed me that it is a good remedy for urinary troubles. They suggest the patients to dip the root pieces whole night in water and next morning, take the leachate internally empty stomach both as preventive and for treatment. In reference literature, this use is not mentioned. I am proud to write that this is a discovery by the traditional healers of Chhattisgarh and more important is that it is still in use. The healers further informed me that Gondla roots are an integral part of herbal combinations used as aphrodisiac. In these herbal combinations the traditional healers use over 30 species of herbs, including, Kevatch (Mucuna pruriens), Gokhru (Tribulus terrestis), Safed Musli (Chlorophytum borivilianum), Kali Musli (Curculigo orchoides, ), Asgandh (Withania sominfera), Kamal (Lotus), Indrajau, Satawar (Asparagus racemosus), Vanslochan etc. The natives of Bagbahera region, use the Gondla roots for face care. After boiling the roots in water, they prepare a decoction. The decoction is used to wash the face and on black spots, it is rubbed gently. Gondla is also used as veterinary medicine. In case of injuries during field works to their cattle, the natives fry the roots in ghee and prepare a paste. This paste is applied externally on injured parts. It is also used to dress the wounds in order to hasten the process of healing.

The results of ethnobotanical surveys clearly indicates that the natives and traditional healers of Bagbahera region have in depth traditional knowledge about different medicinal uses of Gondla. Thank you very much for reading the article.

Table 1: Major Cyperus species of Chhattisgarh with Botanical differences
Characters	Cyperus arenarius	Cyperus bulbosus	Cyperus corymbosus	Cyperus iria	Cyperus laevigatus	Cyperus malaccesis	Cyperus procerus	Cyperus rotundus
Habit	A glaucous-green pale, rigid, creeping sedge, with wiry, elongated rhizome.	A stoloniferous, glabrous, erect perennial, with numerous bulbs. Bulb as small as paddy-grain, very easily separates from parent plant	A variable, glabrous, robust sedge	A short-lived, tall annual, with fibrous roots	A perennial sedge	A tall, coarse, stoloniferous perrennial	A perennial, stout, glabrous sedge with underground tubers and rhizomes	A perennial, stoloniferous, rhizomatus, halophytic sedge.
Culm	Distant on the rhizome, stout, rigid, terete, 10-30 cm	60-150 cm arising from rhizome	Tufted, trique trous, 30-50cm	Upto one meter	60-90 cm	60-90 cm	Triquetrous	Dark green glabrous, 15-40 cm.
Leaf	Linear, 5-20 cm X 2-3 mm.	Many, longer than stem, four mm wide at base	-	As long as or shorter than culm, 5mm wide, few, scarbid to ward apex	Sometimes as long as stem	-	Often longer than culm	Dark green above with reddish-brown sheaths, clustered at the base of stem 4-8 mm wide.
Inflorescence	Solitary, terminal heads, more of less globose, brown	Subumbellate, interrupted	-	Large compound umbels 5-20, spicate	Pseudolateral cluster of 2-12, generally sessile spikelet	-	-	3-9 spreading rays, bearing tassels of few, large spikelets.
Spikelets	Numerous, radiating, elliptic-lanceolate, dirty straw coloured ultimately becoming brown, 8-25 flowered	4-12,8-12 flowered	-	Spike cylindrial, lax. spikelets compressed, linear, oblong,	Closely clustered, straw coloured or tinged with chest nut or chestnut red, oblong-lanceolate	Linear	Sometimes tinged red or bright red or straw coloured	20-40 flowered, red-brown to almost black.
Fruit	-	-	-	Obovate-elliptic, with conceav smooth sides	Ovate or obovate, flattened	Ellipsoid apiculate nut	Obovoid, trigonus, yellow brown nut.	Oblong ovate.