The sprawling, leafy, grounds of Kerala Raj Bhavan will soon play host to dozens of species of medical plants following a proposal of the State Medical Plants Board to set up a herbal garden there.
The ‘medicinal plants demonstration garden’ will help visitors identify the uses of each species of plant in Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH). The Rs.21.50-lakh project is being funded by the Central Medicinal Plants Board.
The herbal garden will come up in 2.5 acres of land and will host 250 species of medicinal plants and trees. Among the species that will be planted in the herbal garden, which will take shape over the next two years, are neem, gmelina (kumbil), Ashoka, jamun and Indian gooseberry. There will be a special area for medicinal trees as well.
Also included in the herbal garden wil be a plot for aromatic plants, a plot for special shrubs used in medicine, and a special area for sacred plants. The State Medicinal Plants Board, as part of setting up the herbal garden, is preparing a handbook of all the plants and trees on the Raj Bhavan premises. Each species will be clearly labelled and its medicinal or economic importance indicated. Kerala Raj Bhavan is the second Governor’s residence, after Andhra Raj Bhavan, to get a herbal garden. There is also a similar garden at Rashtrapathi Bhavan.
The herbal garden project was formally inaugurated on Wednesday by Governor P. Sathasivam, who planted a neem sapling. Health Minister K.K. Shylaja, who was among those present on the occasion, planted an Ashoka sapling while the Governor’s wife Saraswathy Sathasivam planted a gmelina sapling.
Addressing media persons after the inaugural ceremony, Mr. Sathasivam pointed out that 20 mango saplings had been planted at Raj Bhavan on the occasion of World Environment Day. The medicinal plants would give Raj Bhavan a “clean and green” look, he added.
CEO of the National Medicinal Plants Board Shomita Biswas was also present.
