Arkh/AK( Calotropis, Madar, Swallow wort)

Arkh/AK( Calotropis, Madar, Swallow wort)

Open the Ak pod, throw it to the air and watch the seeds dispersing in the setting sun, floating fairies in the orange glow. Then capture them in to a basket to be stuffed into pillows and a handful of the colorful sunset with it.

Today this pillow is misshapen and flattened, but under my head, it’s still the dreamland where the setting sun can be caught and bagged forever. On the practical side the pillow is very comfortable. Pillows stuffed with such medicinal silk are healing and good for fever and headaches.

This is a common wild plant growing all over India on roadsides, fields and parks. Two main categories are the one with white flowers (Safed Rui- Marathi) and purple flowers which is common. The white flowers variety is medicinally more potent and considered auspicious and also to prevent negativity from entering the house if planted at the entrance. The root of this variety over time contorts itself in a Lord Ganesha figure. The plant is also used for worship of Shiva and Hanuman ji.

Uses of leaves and flowers (all parts are poisonous so use with precaution):

1)      Leaves are 10 degrees colder than others. Flowers act as a hair coolant.

2)      Insert leaves in footwear directly for arthritis and also good for diabetes.

3)      Smear oil on the Ak Leaf, can put turmeric, warm it, and tie around rheumatic painful or inflamed joints.

4)      Swellings in hands and feet, joints, mumps or bloated abdomen, sprains or ligament tears. Just smear some oil on the leaf, warm it and apply or tie around.

5)      Take a yellowing leaf, smear mustard/sesame oil on it. Warm one side of the leaf over a direct flame, or invert an Iron kadhai, heat it and then warm the leaves over it, then squeeze the oil smeared leaf 2-3 drops into an inflamed ear or for other ear problems.

6)      Very young flower buds are heated in an earthenware vessel till they blacken. The resultant ash is mixed with other Ayurvedic powders and small pills made out of this can cure asthma or arthritis.

7)      The milky sap, from the cut stem or leaf can be directly dribbled – 1 drop , on a ring worm on the skin or fungus or psoriasis patch. The part turns red and can apply 5-10 minutes later, aloe Vera gels smeared with Haldi if burning is severe. My personal experience- In the starting stages, it has cured the above afflictions.

*Precaution: Don’t directly touch the sap or allow it to touch the eyes.