I have read many books by different authors. But Shakespeare and John Bernard Shaw among English authors. Dinkar Nirala and Tagore are my favorite among Indian authors. Rabindranath Tagore is one of the greatest poets of the world. Let’s come to know something more about Rabindranth Tagore.

Rabindranath Tagore belongs to a very respectable family of Bengal. He was born on 7th May, 1861 at Jorsanko in Kolkata. His father’s name was Shri Devendranath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore received elementary education at two schools of Kolkata. They were the oriental seminary and Calcutta Normal. Tagore sailed for England in 1871 for higher education. He joined the university of London. Tagore ‘s family life was very sad. He was married in 1888. But his wife died in 1902. His second daughter died in 1904. His father passed away in 1907. These sad events in life made Tagore more and more religious.

Rabindranath was a great writer. He was the editor of several magazines. Tagore ‘s “Gitanjali ” is one of the best books. Some English poets like W. B. Yeats and Stopford Brook praised Tagore ‘s Gitanjali. His poems combine the tender humanity with a deep religious touch. And the Nobel Prize was awarded to him by the Swedish Academy. Balka and Purabi are his great creations. One of his greatest poetical dramas is Chitrangada. He also wrote some beautiful short stories.

Rabindranath was a great lover of India. He raised his voice against the Britishers. He fought the war for freedom through his writings. Tagore was a great educationist also. He founded the Vishwabharti in 1901. He wanted to make India a home of culture and education. It has become the famous university of the world. But this great son of India died on 7th Aug, 1941. Tagore is my favorite author. He was a writer, educationist, social reformer and patriot – all combined in one.

Above all, was Rabindranath ‘s love for children. He used to lose himself in joy when he taught little children. He was indeed a Gurudev, a great teacher in this earth. To more than a generation of Indians he stands in the position of a great teacher who taught them to learn a beautiful language to the finer shades of poetic art. He opened up to us beauties of nature in a way which no one else did before.

Thank you for today….!!!

Today’s article is about books. We all know that man is social in nature and can’t live alone . A company is needed at times . He wants a friend who may share his joys and sorrows. But in the modern age man has grown selfish and tries to serve his own interests. At that time a traditional company can be beneficial. Yes they are books. Books are our best companion and we know that there are no complains and no demands from them…. Hahaha but apart from jokes book is proved to be our best friend.

Books take us into a different world of imagination. They give us plenty of joy and improve our standard of living. They tone up our intellectual taste they make our outlook broad. They encourage us at our worst times, doesn’t make us feel depressed and inspire us to work hard with hope and courage. Books enrich our experience and sharpen our intellect. They remove our ignorance and add to our knowledge.

It is important to differentiate between good and bad books as bad books ruin our intellect and may mislead or misguide and that will not be beneficial. We must try to read good and inspiring books that make our mind to think about that in our way. The book reading time must be fully utilised and must be understanding. A good book is our ‘ friend, philosopher and guide ‘.

I would also like to review a book that I have read. The book is well known to you ‘SITA – The Warrior of Mithila ‘by the author ‘Amish ‘. It changed the whole thinking about Sita and I must suggest that you should also read it once. She was not only a princess, a wife, a daughter in law but much more than that. She lived as a warrior in disguise. She was talented, calm, intelligent and a pious. A woman should consider her as her own ideal.

A well read man is loved by all. He is a store house of information and can give extraordinary facts what he has understand by reading several books. Books are of different kinds. A general reader likes to read books of general nature. They give us knowledge and pleasure.

Thank you and yes keep reading..!!!

“Which blooms once in a bluemoon like the kurinji flower but remains etched in memories forever to be sought for again and of course hard to pursue….”

~Shree abhy

Kurinji is a shrub that is also called Strobilantheskunthiana or neelakurinji. Found along the Western Ghats in the Shola forests in South India, the specialty of the flower is that it blooms in 12 years. The rare sightings of the flowers have been rigorously demonstrated in the years 1838, 1850, 1862, 1874, 1886, 1898, 1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006 and 2018 respectively.

To put things into perspective, the neelakurinji flowers were documented first in 1858 and since then, they have bloomed only for 15 times. The last time the flowers were bloomed in 2006, you witnessed Saddam Hussein being executed by the American Armed Forces, Italy won the football world cup and Pluto was declared a dwarf planet.

In India, there are 250 different types of kurinji flowers and 46 types of neelakurinji in India. The red and maroon kurinji flowers are also available but it is the blue, azure neelakurinji that is widely popular and most-coveted.

The flowers are purple-blue- showering the valley with the sublime purple haze when they bloom. A rarest of the rare sight, which happens once in a blue moon literally!  The blooming of kurinji flowers happens during September-October. People from all over the world come to Neelgiri Hills to see this rarest phenomenon unfolding in front of their eyes. The Neelgiri hills or the Blue Mountains get their name from the blue Kurinji flowers that cover the entire landscape during the period of 12 years.

KURINJI FLOWER HAD UNUSUAL BLOOMING CYCLES

In the world of flowers, such plants with unusual blooming cycles with long intervals are called plietesials. Besides, the blooming cycle, the plant shows other signature characteristics of being one such as gregarious flowering, supra-annual synchronized monocarpy and mast seeding. Mast seeding of Strobilanthes refers to the reproduction of the seeds once during their lifetime.  The synchronized monocarpy implies flowering once in a lifetime and dying after fruiting.

Similarly , strobilanthescuspidatus, other kurinji species, blooms once in every seven years and then subsequently, wilts and dies. The seeds take seven years to sprout, grow and bloom. Each species of kurinji flower takes different time to mature. Neelakurinji takes 12 years to grow and bloom gregariously.

The kurinji flower is a bright coloured, bell-shaped blue flower. In the local language, it is called Kunthiana, referring to the river Kunthi that flows through the Silent Valley National Park in Kerala.  Kurinji flowers grow in the lower expanse of the valley that has no dense tree forest.

The plant of kurinji is a bushy shrub with hairless reddish branches. The leaves are hairless and have a leathery texture. Elliptic in shape, the size of the leaves are 6 x 3 cm.

In the 19^th century, Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck first discovered and described the genus, Strobilanthes.The flowering periods of Strobilathes vary from one species to another, as explained in the journals like Indian Foresterand Journal of Bombay Natural History Society.

All species belonging to this genus have an unusual flowering patternranging from annual blooming cycle to the longest with 16-year! The flowers grow in the cluster of 2-5 and have woolly texture. The flowers are hairy and grow in a linear pattern. The lance-shaped petals are almost 2.5 cm long and are attached to the spikes 3-5 cm long.

The plant is usually 25 to 60 cm high and grows at an altitude of 1,300 to 2,200 metres.

KURINJI HONEY

The flowers are pollinated by honey bees. The honey collected by these bees is very sweet, nutritious and has high medicinal value.

Butterflies, eastern honeybees and insects love these nectar-filled blue flowers. The nectar collected by the honeybees is regarded to be superlative and healthier. This rarest honey can last for more than 15 years.  The indigenous tribe Paliyan harvests the honey from hives. The tribe calls it ‘liquid gold’ for its value. Unlike other brands of honey available in the market, it is transparent and a bit greenish-yellowish in colour. The taste is unique and so far, it hasn’t been artificially cultivated at all. Besides, the honey is only available when the flowers bloom once in 12 years. For now, you need to wait until 2030 to get some.

BLOOMING SEASON FOR NEELAKURINJI

Covering the 3,000 hectares of hills in blue-purple carpet and filling the air with intoxicating sweet fragrance, this is a phenomenon that only happens in India!

The most interesting fact about the blooming phenomena of kurinji is that scientists and botanists have failed to arrive at any conclusion that how these flowers manage to adhere to their blooming periods, which range from 3, 7, 12, 17 to even 36 years!

The plants begin flowering in the last phase of Monsoon. By the time rains vanish, the valleys are covered with neelakurinji flowers. India receives the last rains of monsoon season during September and October, so if you want to witness this beauty first-hand, this is when you should visit Munnar or any Southern hill station.

However, with the erratic climate situation, we are dealing with, the blooming of neelakurinji flowers too has been impacted. It is advised to check the monsoon schedule before you make any plans.

HABITAT OF KURINJI FLOWERS

Earlier, kurinji flowers used to envelope the entire landscape of Nilgiri Hills, Bababudangiri, Cardamom Hills, Palani Hills and Anamalai Hills. There were times when one could witness the splurge of purple shade throughout the Chandra Drona Hill Range in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka and Datta Peeta. With private real estate and plantations, their habitat has become limited in the area.  Apart from the Western Ghats, the magical growth of Kurinji flowers can be seen in the layout of Eastern Ghats namely Idukki district, Agali hills, Palakkad, Sanduru Hills in Bellary, Karnataka.

Ootacumend, the Queen of Hills or Ooty is home to 33 varieties of kurinji flowers and is popularly called Blue Mountain for kurinji flowers that cover the landscape.  Apart from Ooty, one can see the blue, bright flowers in their glory in Coonoor, Lamb’s Rock and Kothagiri. 

Thanks to these flowers and their unique blooming period, the sleepy town of Munnar, Kerala made it to the list of “Top Places to Visit in Asia in 2018” by the Lonely Planet.

THE WESTERN GHATS AND KURINJI FLOWERS

The Western Ghats wrap in an extraordinaire world of endemic fauna and flora. The alpine climate of plateaus and hills promote the growth and habitat of a wonderful ecosystem above 1,500 meters, known as the Shola. According to S.K. Seth and H.G. Champion, the sholas are the wet temperate stunted evergreen forest. The trees have crooked branches with an abundant supply of moss, lichens, orchids, epiphytes and pteridophyte, making the entire system hygroscopic- the phenomenon of attracting and absorbing water from the surrounding atmosphere. To avoid the high-velocity western monsoon winds, the shola trees have developed interlocking branches. The grasslands, where kurinji plants grow are open meadows and valleys-in the midst of misty hills.

Some botanists and experts refer to this ecological climate of the Himalayan range as “Islands in the Sky” because these habitats are divided by several low-lying inhabitable areas, making the grassland vegetation and fauna of the Southern Western Ghatare unique, highly evolved and nothing like other.

The Flora of British India enlists more than fully detailed species of Strobilanthes species in this region. Similarly, James Sykes Gamble, the noted botanist of the British era has also detailed 46 species in his book Flora of Madras Presidency.

SIGHTING OF NEELAKURINJI FLOWERS

Neelakurinji was sighted in the year 2006 after 12 years, in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Kurinji flowers of Strobilanthescuspidatus species were again witnessed in their full glory in the year 2016 in Udhagamandalam.

In Munnar, the last mega kurinji bloom was spotted in 2006. In 2017, the purple flowers were recorded in their full glory in Bellary, behind Kumaraswamy temple.

In 2006, the neelakurinji flowers were last bloomed in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The flowers were spotted after 12 years. To commemorate this rare sighting, the state government released a stamp and declared the year as the “Year of Kurinji.”

The flowers were seen again after exact 12 years in South India in the year 2018.

The next flowering season in Munnar will be in the year 2030.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE ABOUT NEELAKURINJI

Since Kurinji flowers have their home in Tamil Nadu, the Tamil literature is rich with their references and similes. In Tamil Nadu, Kurinji is the part and parcel of everyday life. A temple is dedicated to the flower deity called Kurinji AndavarTemple in Kodaikanal. Commonplace references to the deity and kurinji flowers can be found in Kurunthogai, the classic Sangam Age literature of Tamil Country. The blooming season of kurinji is celebrated with small-scale and big-scale festivities among locales, who believe it to be the enduring symbol of secret love and romance. For a tribal community in Munnar, the neelakurinji is the symbol of self-awakening of a woman.

The Tamil Country literature classified the land into five types, which were Kurinji (mountainous), Mullai (forested), Marutham (agricultural), Neithal (coastal) and Paalai (desert) – based on their geographical topography and the plants found in these ecosystems.

In a classic Tamil Literary piece, Kuruntokai- the flower is used indirectly for the poetic verse, Red Earth and Pouring Rain. In Clare Flynn’s novel, Kurinji Flowers, the flowers’ association with clandestine love affair is used as a backdrop to narrate a fictional account of a tragic romance in India of the 1940s.

WHY DOES NEELAKURINJI FLOWER BLOOM AFTER 12 YEARS?

It is called survival mechanism in botany. The longer pollination helps the plant to survive through the periodical blooming, natural calamity as well as protect it against the predators. The plant is a favourite of birds and mammals, rendering it vulnerable and at a great threat. In such a scenario, the annual pollination may not be a favourable condition for the plant and leave it more defenceless and weaker. The extended period of blooming is determined by the internal mechanism clock of the plant. The neelakurinji plants, much like bamboo plant, follow the records of daytime, variation in monsoon season and bloom accordingly. Until the kurinji plants are ready, they may or may not bloom at all.

On the recommendations of “Save Kurinji Campaign Council,” the Kerala cabinet has decided to increase the 3200 hectares and redraw the boundaries of the sanctuary. The cabinet also took decisions to appoint a settlement officer and conduct drone surveys on a regular basis. A decision was also taken on the Kerala Promotion of Tree Growth in Non-Forest Act 2005 to stop the encroachment of other plant species to steer clear of the ground for kurinji flowers.

Besides, the need to educate people is the must. Responsible tourism is still not a thing in India and because of this, the growth of kurinji flowers gets affected adversely. The influx of tourism affects the environment and natural habitat of the flowers. Be it at the micro-level, it changes the structure of soil and nutrients to a level that it alters the blooming pattern of flowers and affects their pollination cycle.

Around 3,500 people were allowed to visit the Eravikulam National Park in 2006. There were reports that they plucked the flowers and took them home- just for the thrills.  This impact of this encroachment of this will be seen later when the next round of blooming period will occur…or not.  The managing committee of National Park, Munnar Wildlife Division has provisioned a fine of Rs. 2,000 on damaging the plants under Section 22 of the Wildlife Protection Act.

According to the local people in Munnar, the climate of the hill station was cool and a balancing mix of mist and rain- favourable to the growth of neelakurinji flowers. However, it is not anymore. The climate is also rapidly changing and becoming unpredictable, making the flowering of neelakurinji flowers big guesswork.

” The bamboo that bends

is stronger than the oak that resists”

Bamboo – the giant grass

Bamboos popularity has risen in recent years fuelled by its myriad of practical uses and aesthetic features. Bamboo is the fastest growing and most versatile plant in the world with many nations depending on it for their livelihood. However, in western countries (particularly Australia), bamboo has been somewhat misunderstood and even seen as a pest due to the early introduction of so many running species.

There are about 1500 bamboo species in the world, however approximately half of these are monopodial (running or invasive) species. It is unfortunate that in the past, so many of these running species have made it into Australian gardens, as it is these species that has tarnished the reputation and acceptance of bamboo. However with the introduction of more and more sympodial (clumping or non-invasive) species to Australia, people are slowly learning that there is a huge variety of bamboos which are perfectly safe and that will not take over your garden. With bamboo species ranging in height from 3 meters to 30 meters and in a variety of colours and shapes, there is sure to be a bamboo to suit everyone and every application.

Bamboo is the world’s fastest producer of biomass and can be used for anything between production of paper or clothing, used as a building material such as flooring, bench tops, fences and screens, or even as a food source in the form of the edible shoots for your favourite curry or stir fry. In China, bamboo leaf extract has a long history of food and medicinal applications and its potential can only be speculated in a global market. Due to the large variety of bamboo and their remarkable ability to adapt, there is a bamboo suitable for every application.

Growing habits

Bamboo is in fact a type of grass – a very fast growing and giant grass. Bamboo grows in a short but strong growth spurt during summer and then remains near dormant over winter. During the ‘growth spurt’, a bamboo will start with new shoots from the ground which will grow to full height in two to three months. Due to some of the largest bamboo species being capable of reaching over 30 meters in height, during peak growth a bamboo shoot can grow up to 1 meter per day.

Planting a new bamboo is a very rewarding experience since each yearly generation of culms usually double in diameter and nearly double in height from that of the previous year. This continues until the plant reaches its full mature size. For smaller bamboos, this only takes 3 or 4 years while for larger bamboos, it may take 5 to 6 years. Nonetheless, a 30 meter plant in under 6 years is certainly something to boast about. After reaching its full potential, a bamboo will keep generating shoots of the same size year after year with the only possible causes for fluctuations being factors such as water, temperature, humidity, etc.

As a bamboo clump ages, it will slowly grow in size (diameter) as new shoots emerge on the outskirts of the clump. Some bamboos, even though clumping, will grow into large diameter clumps, while other varieties will stay in a very narrow clumps. This is why careful species selection is crucial when planning what bamboos to plant. You obviously wouldn’t want to plant a bamboo which has a tendency to form a clump 2 meters in diameter in your narrow garden bed along your driveway.

Bamboo terminology

Sympodial (Clumping): Sympodial or clumping bamboos are those that DO NOT spread and form tight clumps which only slowly expand in diameter each year.

Monopodial (Running): Monopodial or running bamboos are the dreaded bamboos that will not only take over your garden or property, but quite possibly also your neighbours. Bamboo groves of running bamboo can be very beautiful, but only in areas where space is not an issue or where they can be controlled.

Rhizome: These are the underground stems of a bamboo from which culms, roots and other rhizomes can grow.

Culm: This is the name given to the stems of a bamboo.

Shoot: This is the name given to a young culm as it emerges from the ground from the rhizome.

Node: Nodes are the diaphragms that separate the hollow bamboo culms into compartments. These are the visible ‘rings’ on the bamboo culms.

Internode: The hollow sections between the nodes. These vary in length from species to species.

Culm Sheath: This is the name give to the protective leaves which wrap around new shoots / young culms as they grow. They give the culms strength during the initial growth period until the culm matures and the timber hardens. Once this has happened (usually once the culm has reached its full height) the culm sheaths start falling off. Culm sheaths are also an excellent aid in identifying bamboo species – but that’s too much to go into detail here.

Bamboo for construction…a timber resource

In many developing countries, bamboo is traditionally considered as the poor man’s material. This is obviously due to the abundance of bamboo forests and the relative low level machinery and expertise required to obtain a usable building material in its natural form (ie. round poles). It is used for everything from house framing, flooring, thatch cladding for walls and ceiling, and even as shingles for the roof.

However, in many other countries where bamboo has not traditionally been used in the past, bamboo timber is starting to establish itself as a more exclusive building material into a niche upper-class market. The superior strength and durability of bamboo has earned its successful use as a timber for flooring and bench tops. These applications are utilising the more processed bamboo timber (ie. laminated strips of bamboo) but bamboo timber even in its natural form (round poles) are in high demand as people are wanting to use it more and more for construction of gazebos, fences, screens, etc.

The strength and hardness of bamboo timber is equivalent to hardwood timber whilst the cost is also comparable to hardwood timber. So why then should people be considering growing bamboo on a commercial level? The simple answer is that it has the potential to be a direct substitute for hardwood timber and thus reducing the pressure on natural hardwood forests.

Bamboo shoots for eating

Bamboo shoots is an important food source in many Asian countries with Thailand, China and Japan being the biggest consumers. Bamboo shoots are not yet part of traditional Western food, however most people have at some point eaten bamboo (perhaps without knowing it) as it is found in most curries and many other Asian dishes.

Currently, Australia imports vast quantities of bamboo shoots to supply restaurants and markets. Most of this however is in tins, despite fresh shoots being far superior and preferred among consumers. Very little of the bamboo shoots available in Australia is grown in Australia, leaving an obvious gap in the market ready to be filled by the entrepreneurial farmer. As bamboo produces new shoots in summer or autumn here in Australia, corresponding to Winter time in China and Japan, there is also an opportunity for export to these countries during their off-season.

Bamboo shoot production does not need to be on commercial scale, in fact it is also a great small crop for the common gardener – even on small suburban blocks. By choosing species which suit your garden (ie. ornamental or screening varieties) that also produce good shoots (or timber), you can combine a multitude of uses in the one clump of bamboo. A very versatile plant to have at your disposal.

Most bamboo species produce edible shoots – though some species produce naturally sweet shoots whilst others tend to be fairly bitter tasting. For clumping species which produce good edible shoots, please refer to the species descriptions in the Catalogue.

Enviromental Restoration

Bamboo is a pioneering plant in that it can be grown in full sun and tolerates high winds. This enables its use as a starting point in restoring cleared land which may have been damaged by overgrazing or poor farming. Because of the bamboos fast growth and dense foliage, it will quickly deposit a thick layer of leaf litter covering the ground, which will then start restoring degraded soils and re-establishing a cooler micro-climate.

Bamboo for erosion control, windbreaks and noise barriers

A bamboos root system grows into a dense ‘mat’ of fine roots which is shallow but wide spread. This means that its ability to hold soil together is excellent, even in areas where erosion caused by flowing water is a problem. It will hold soil together along fragile river banks, deforested areas, dam walls and spillways. There are no tap roots on bamboo plants, thus they are not going to cause any problems if planted on dam walls (like so many other trees will).

Many clumping bamboo species have very erect (straight) growth whilst still tight clumping and bushy. These species are ideal for use as windbreaks around orchards, sugar cane fields, etc. There are bamboos that will grow very uniformly to whatever height is desired. So whether it be a short hedge (so that crops aren’t shaded) or a tall barrier (to prevent storm damage from high winds), there is a bamboo to suit.

Waste water treatment

Bamboo has the capacity for very high nitrogen uptake. This makes it ideal for mitigation of waste water pollution and disposal of effluents. Waste water from manufacturing, livestock farming and sewerage treatment plants can be used to irrigate bamboo crops, thus converting the waste water into useful biomass.

It can also be used to treat water run-off from agricultural land. Most farming adds soil nutrients to waterways from pastures and cultivated fields. This water clouds and poisons clean water. Planted alongside rivers, creeks and ditches and holding dams, bamboo can catch these excess nutrients in the run-off water thus preventing harmful run-off from entering nearby streams.

Good heavens, my bamboo is flowering!!

You may not have heard that bamboo flowers, or if you have, then you may have been told that if this happens, then its all over for your bamboo and it’s going die. Though this does hold true for some bamboo species – it is not true for all.

The flowering of a bamboo is usually quite an extraordinary event – not because they produce spectacular flowers (quite dull actually) but for the simple reason that it very rarely happens. A bamboo can have one of 3 flowering patterns dependent of genera and species.

The first (and most impressive) pattern is that called gregarious flowering. Many of the big timber bamboos flower in this way. Each species has an inbuilt genetic time clock keeping track of its life cycle which may vary from anywhere between 20 to 120 years. Once a particular species reaches its life expectancy, it will start to flower which is then followed by the development of seeds. A bamboo flowering in this way spends an enormous amount of energy producing the flowers and seeds which usually stresses the plant to such an extent that it will actually die. This, of course, is all part of the bamboos genius plan. A particular species can flower (and die) all over the world at the same time. This happens because all plants originating from a particular source are clones of the mother plant (since bamboo is usually multiplied via cuttings or clump divisions). What this means is that the bamboo that you have just planted in your garden is not actually a young plant (unless grown from seed), rather it could be a 100 year old bamboo. This is the magical phenomenon that is.

Another type of flowering pattern that some bamboo varieties undergo is sporadic flowering. As the name suggests, there is very little pattern to this type of flowering and it seems that it is brought on my environmental factors (such as drought or cold) rather than genetics. Flowering is usually not wide spread but can happen to either singular plants or all of the same species within a localized area. Sporadic flowering rarely results in the production of viable seeds but on the upside, the plants very rarely die after the event.

The third and last flowering cycle is annual flowering. A select few bamboos (usually only some of the Schizostachyums) undergo this type of flowering. A particular species may keep flowering year after year without any effect on the plant itself. Viable seeds are a rarity with this type of flowering but not impossible.