The ‘ekamukhi’ (single-segmented) rudraksha plant, now confined to the Himalayas and India-Nepal border, is now being grown in the semi-arid tropical climate of East Godavari district.
Gangumalla Satyanarayana and his brothers, are among the hundreds of farmers engaged in growing nurseries of the plant in the district now. It was Sri Satyanarayana Nursery of Kadiam, owned by the Gangumalla brothers, that first grew the ‘ekamukhi’ rudraksha plant in the district. “We bought the plant about two years ago in Bangalore and the age of the plant at the time was three years. It began flowering four months ago. We only know that it is a rudraksha plant. But, recently a swamji told us that it was ‘ekamukhi’,” said Nagesh, one of the brothers. “The plant has grown into a small tree and hundreds of rudraksha buds of green colour with flowers hang from it now,” he says.
Hindus believe that ‘ekamukhi’ rudraksha is a resemblance of Lord Siva. Generally, rudraksha beads have five lines (mukhi) on them. They stand for five segments of the bead. Each segment contains a seed in it. But, ‘ekamukhi’ has only one seed, which is the most wanted variety.
Mr. Reddy, who is in charge of the Sri Satyanarayana Nursery, says ‘ekamukhi’ rudraksha is available in five or six shapes and presently their nursery grows the plant that bears oval-shaped Rudraksha. ‘Ekamukhi’ can be tested by a simple formula: put it in a bowl of milk and it will not degenerate for five days.
As for the size of the rudraksha, Mr. Nagesh said they had grown the plant in open air and had not taken due care as they had not realised its importance. “If the plant is properly maintained, the size and shape of the bead will match the rudraksha available on the Nepal border,” he said.
