Shamkupushpam Flowers

Shamkupushpam with two or more petals

Its a vessel carrying flower to temple for the poojas. This flower vessel is from my home. This is my Amma's morning routine to fill this vessel with variety of flowers plucked from my home itself. She will do it with great devotion and always chanting some manthras. Its a nice thing to see my parents collecting all these flowers and going to temple. When you miss someone its nice to remember through some images. These flowery images of my parents always fill fragrance and positive approach to my life. Wishing them more healthy and wonderful life ahead... The image of this poopathram is from my home taken 2 years back.

A very good morning to all of my friends through images right from Kochi.

An earlier post about this herb

Shanku Pushpam- A perennial Herb

Scientific name: Clitoria terneata, Malayalam:Shanku pushpam, Sanskrit:Shanku pushpi, Tamil: Kakkattan, Hindi and Bengali:Aparajitha, English: Butterfly pea

May be because of the shape of the flower, malayalaees called them as 'Shamku Pushpam'. Its a very positive sight to see lot of blue flowers hanging. These images are from the front of my office, I couldn't capture the exact beauty because of my lack of expert in Photography. But I am sharing my happiness to see such lovely flowers as a starter of my works. This positive triggers are sometimes inevitable in this short period of life. We are not knowing the nice happenings around us. We are always running behind our targets almost ignoring the music of a bird, smell of a flower, smile of our child or the mesmerizing beauty of a butterfly. Its a nice experience to share some of these positive things through these platform. Everything in the nature has a story to tell us. These shankupushpam flowers had a lot of things behind its beauty. Googling helped me to note these wonderful usages of these blue beauties.

These flowers are used for pigmentation in some Asian countries. These flowers are eaten fresh in Burma. In Kerala it is widely used in Ayurvedic treatments. Its mainly used in Sexual Problems and menstrul disorders. Its a medicine for nervous system and its added in brain tonics.

This deep blue flower is the most common type in Kerala but we can see white flowers and pink ones occasionally. The white flowers are used to cure Goiter. The extrat from the root of this plant is considered to be a mental rejuvanator. These root extracts are used in medicines for Snake bites.

I can note conclude this post without a mention about the famous romantic song from Kerala.

'Shankupushpam Kannezhuthumbol Shakunthale ninne orma varum...' The magical poet of malayalam Vayalar Ramavaram portraits the grief of Dushyanta about his wife and he remembers her through the beauties of nature around him. This is written in 1965!! and still its a hit in Kerala. Remembering all those talented people behind this Cinema.

To know more about the cinema Shakunthala in Malayalam

Some plants from Kerala-having medicinal value Shankupushpam

White shankupushpam flower
Blue shankupushpam flower

Leaves of Veppu

Manja Thechi(yellow thechi)
"Thechi mandaram thulasi pichaka malakal charthi
guruvayoorappa ninne kanikanenam"


Arya veppu(veppu)(Neem) used as a germ killer...Beauty enhancer and blood purifier.
Purify blood. It is Antiviral, Anti bacterial, Antidandruff and Antidiabetic properties. Powder of Aryaveppu with coconut oil is a good remedy for Dandruff. Mix Neem powder, Curd and red sandal wood powder in equal proportion is a good medicine for Pimples





Shanku pushpam-A lovely flower mostly found in Kerala. Used in Temples. This is also found in white and Rose colours. It has medicinal properties. Its roots, leaves and the plant itself are used for medicines in Ayurveda. Every malayalee will remember this flower through the nostalgic voice of Yeshudas 'Shanku Pushpam Kannezhuthumbol Shakunthale ninne orma varum.....'

In Ayurveda it is considered as the greatest herb for the mind power. It enhances your beauty. It is also beneficial for your nervous system. An ayurvedic article related to the medicinal use of shanku pushpi for the memory loss is mentioned below.
http://www.allayurveda.com/topic_month_august2002.htm



yellow chethi

Photo of manja chethi