Tinospora cordifolia

Giloy, or ‘Amritamkodi’ locally, is considered to be the nectar of immortality. It’s highly esteemed in Ayurvedic system of medicine for the treatment of various conditions such as chronic fever, indigestion, anxiety, inflammatory respiratory issues, arthritis and so on; apart from being a generic immunity booster.

A few years ago, a close friend of Solitude Farm who is an Ayurvedic doctor, noticed that the vine was growing everywhere here. She showed us how the dried aerial roots could be powdered for use as a supplement. She also showed us how the leaves could be used by soaking them overnight in water to prepare a decoction that could be drunk the next morning. We even decided to experiment with the leaves in salads. The leaves are slightly bitter but have a nice texture.

When we start to see that such plants with historically significant medicinal value are growing all around us, it is foolish not to use them. At Solitude we have begun packaging the powdered, dried stems for sale. This demonstrates our cultural heritage has the potential to create a secondary income for farmers.

Understanding the depth and wealth of our cultural heritage, by using these abundant gifts is truly our Road back to Nature and must involve a society that recognizes and carries this knowledge.