The Mahuwa tree and flowers on the ground Photo: Ravi Kumar |
Mahua flowers on the ground Photo: Ravi Kumar |
Villagers come near the trees with baskets and collect the flowers. The flowers are dried and sold to grocery stores. The dried flowers are used for making some recipes but generally it is used to make alcoholic drink. This home-made drink is also known as Mahua which is a country liquor. This drink is more popular in the forest dwelling tribal people as this tree is more in numbers in their areas. Mahua drinking is accepted as a part of their cultural heritage.
The seeds of Mahua are used to extract oil which is known as Kodhi-oil (कोढ़ी का तेल). This oil is very good for skin. It is also used to make soap and detergents. It is edible and may be used as vegetable butter. The seed cakes after the extraction of oil is used as manure.
The bark of the Mahua tree is used for medicinal purposes. The leaves and flowers are fed to goats and sheeps. The leaves are also fed to a type of silk insect (moth) and Tassar silk is obtained from them. Tassar silk is a type of wild silk.
The Mahua wood is very hard and used as timber. But seasoned Mahua wood is brittle and very difficult to work upon. So in villages, it is mostly used as Chowkhats (door frames) and carpenters work on it before it is seasoned or dry, immediately it is fixed in the walls so that no warping takes place on drying.
We see that the Mahuwa tree plays an important role in rural economy. Due to its usefulness, the tribal people consider it as a boon and revere this tree.
Mahua oil, (कोढ़ी का तेल) In Winters |
The bark of the Mahua tree is used for medicinal purposes. The leaves and flowers are fed to goats and sheeps. The leaves are also fed to a type of silk insect (moth) and Tassar silk is obtained from them. Tassar silk is a type of wild silk.
Picking Mahua flowers Photo: Ravi Kumar |
We see that the Mahuwa tree plays an important role in rural economy. Due to its usefulness, the tribal people consider it as a boon and revere this tree.
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Instagram Link
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_ZvL9ljS8S/?igshid=t4ncy1m5rvb1
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Mahua dried flowers and it's oil is also available online at - Amazon
Instagram Link
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_ZvL9ljS8S/?igshid=t4ncy1m5rvb1
___________
Mahua dried flowers and it's oil is also available online at - Amazon