Heard of ‘Chrysopogon
zizanioides’ and wonder what is has to do with a Temple related post, especially one on the last day of Sri
Parthasarathi Swami Brahmothsavam at Thiruvallikkeni.
it is a botanical plant – known locally as ‘vettiver’ of
grass family. Sometime back, plantation of vettiver grass to check soil erosion was renamed as
Sabujayan project by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Kasturi Ghosh,
a gold medalist from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya,is doing PhD on Chief Minister's project. Ms Mamta had
inaugurated the project at a function in Nadia in 2015. Vetiver grass is being
planted along the riverside for protection of the river embankment. The Nadia district administration brought
Sabujayan Project under the Mahatma Gandhi national Rural Employment Guarantee
Act. The grass has deep roots and can
prevent soil erosion during heavy floods. Additionally, it shows high level of
tolerance to toxic levels of salinity, acidity, alkalinity, and a whole range
of heavy metals and agrochemicals. Nadia is a flood-prone district. Vast areas
of the district get flooded every monsoon resulting in massive soil
erosion. To combat the formidable
problem of soil erosion, the state government came up with a solution of
plating Vetiver grass along the banks of rivers Bhagirathi, Jalangi, Churni,
Mathabhanga, Padma and Ichamati covering a distance of around 743 km.
Nearer home, the traditional weavers of Anakaputhur turned
to ‘vettiver’ as raw material for a fabric, after trying their hands at several
natural fibres, including aloe vera, coconut husk, banana, and jute. They were
marketing sarees made out of vettiver .. .. one may try them too.
On the concluding day of
Brahmothsavam is ‘Sapthavaranam’ – grand Thiruvaradhanam, rendering of
Thiruvaimozhi and later in the night,
there is purappadu in Siriya Thiruther [the small chariot]. Today, 21st Apr 2017 is the tenth
day of Sri Parthasarathi Brahmothsavam at Thiruvallikkeni [Triplicane]
divyadesam.
It is ‘Chinna
Thiruther’ famously known as ‘Vettiver Chapparam’… I had earlier posted of the
scientific name of vetti ver as - ‘Chrysopogon zizanioides’, a type of
grass of Poaceae family, native to India. Also known as ‘khus’ Vettiver
can grow up to 1.5 metres high and form clumps as wide. This Ther is known as
‘Vettiver Chapparam’ – for there used to be so many sheets made of this grass
placed on the temple car. One could feel the divine fragrance from a
distance itself. Understand that the stem of the grass vettiver is
cut, smoothened and made into a mat. These mats were earlier even used in
houses and as the air passes through it, there would be fragrance and natural
cooling of air. (this time there was not much of vettiver though !).
In the purappadu - Thiruvarangathu Amuthanaar’s ‘Ramanuja
Noorranthathi’ was rendered. Here are some photos taken during the
purappadu.
Adiyen Srinivasa
dhasan.
a few years ago !
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