At a time when many of our youngsters find colas an attractive option to beat the summer heat, people from the west are increasingly taking to herbal drinks that act as natural coolants for the body apart from providing innumerable health benefits.
“Three persons from the USA came searching for our shop after reading about us in The Hindu ,” said J. Kumari, proprietor of Sri Sambasiva Ayurvedic Centre, which sells the roots of ‘Sugandhi’ and ‘Maaredu’ at Kurupam Market.
“Though the article was published years ago, they had seen it on the Internet. The three, who do not know one another, came on a holiday to the city and came to our shop,” said Ms. Kumari expressing her gratitude to The Hindu .
Sugandhi and Maaredu are prepared from the roots of plants of the same names. The juice of ‘sugandhi’ helps in the purification of blood. It acts as a cooling agent and helps in immediate recovery from sunstroke.
‘Maaredu’ is also a cooling agent and helps prevent dehydration. It is also an excellent medicine for treatment of amoebiasis. It leaves a slight bitter aftertaste in the mouth but that is negated by adding sugar and lime juice.
“Our family has been in this business here for the last 163 years selling herbs and herbal medicines. We tell customers of the method of preparing the herbal juices and their benefits,” says Pachipulusu Venkata Sannaiah of Pachipulusu Venkata Sannaiah and Sons, located near Kurpuram Market. “Sugandhi paste can also be applied externally to cure skin allergies and facial pigmentation. Maaredu also prevents dysentery and acts as an immunity booster. Sugandhi/Maaredu powder, without adding sugar, can also be used by diabetics,” says Dr. Sannaiah.
“I had started selling herbal juices at Rs.3 a glass 15 years ago. Today, I sell it for Rs.15 due to the increased input costs. I get around 100 customers a day and about half of them ask for herbal drinks,” says Mohana Rao, who has been selling Sugandhi and Maredu along with fruit juices and soda at his mobile stall outside the Seethammadhara Rythu Bazaar.
