Vetiver – deep roots with benefits!

A couple of days back my dad, bro Imthi and I went shopping for perfumes. In the midst of discussion we were speaking of a famous song from a Tamil movie, Mudal Mariyathai, called Vetti Veru Vasam. The song starts with these lines

– vetti veru vaasam
vedala pulla nesam…

Vetti Veru or Vetiver as is called around the world has fragrant roots. I did not know of the plant (grass actually) till I saw this article on The Hindu online newspaper today.

Vetiver oil has a unique odour for which it is used in both flavour and fragrance industries. This oil cannot be made synthetically. It has a pleasing aroma and slow evaporation rate. It is the base of many perfumes like Caleche, Chanel No. 5, Dioressence, Parure, Opium and much more. – more here.

The article in the paper made for an interesting read. Shantanoo Bhattacharyya an engineer with the PWD says he came across this plant after some research on flood prevention solutions. Owing to its deep root system the plants are used to prevent soil erosion. He has tried and tested these plants in various places. Together with the help of technology and Vetiver he has done fabulous work. By the time I finished reading the article, I started to Google for Vetiver and found some interesting studies.

I will try to find the Vetiver perfume and check it out soon. It’s surprising how little I know about this grass even though its been there around me since, ever.

By the time I finished reading the article I came across another product – Panchagavya. Panchagavya is a Sanskrit term, which is the blend of five products obtained from cow. Panchagavya consists of five different products of cow – cow dung, cow urine, cow milk, cow ghee and curd. It is widely used in agriculture and is organic. It helps reduce pests and helps growth and production of flowers and fruits. It is also used for treatment in animals and also humans! It is used to treat various diseases in humans like AIDS/HIV, Psoriasis, Neurological disorders, Diabetes mellitus, Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Arthritis etc.

If you own a farm or a garden I think you should try this product. You can make it at home or buy from agriculture centres.

So if you do have experience using this product and also the grass – Vetiver, please do share.