Neem - Tree of Life

Close your eyes and picture a Neem tree. What do you see? Delicate leaves with gentle serrations along their edges. A hardy bark. A healthy bouquet of branches , laden with lush leaves. And the pert round fruit, fondly called nimboli, that lies strewn at the foot of the tree. Let your eyes move down, to where a weary traveler is fast asleep on a jute cot in the shade of the Neem, letting its wind-kissed leaves fan him.

THE ROOTS:

• Neem is though to have originated in Assam and Myanmar. Today, there are an estimated 20 million neem trees in India.
• Neem is the same plant family as mahogany. Its wood can be used as a substitute for true mahogany, because it is heavy and similarly red in colour.
• It enjoys a very high status in Indian life. Its leaves are strung on thresholds to ward off evil spirits. Brides take ritual baths in neem-infused water. Smoke from the tree is wafted into rooms to cleanse them.

NEEM LORE:

This plant is deeply etched in the psyche of the Indian subcontinent.

In ancient times, people of South Asia used to cook neem leaves like spinach!

• It is said that Mahatma Gandhi ate neem leaf chutney despite its bitter taste.
• In some communities, newborns are laid on neem leaves to provide them with a protective aura.
• Goddess Kali is said to reside on the tree, and sometimes stones representing her are placed before a neem tree and worshipped.
• In southern India, neem leaves are mixed with jaggery and chewed on New Year’s Day, to symbolize acceptance of the good with the bad.
• In ancient India, Hindus believed that planting it ensured a passage to Heaven.

Every part of the tree is usable. Here’s short list of benefits:

• The leaves, bark, twings and oil have anti-bacterial properities, and have been applied since olden days to heal swellings and boils.
• The oils is effective in treating leprosy. In fact, its Sanskrit name is pichumarda(pichu means leprosy).
• Neem oil is also used for massage, and relieves arthritis.
• Twings have been used for centuries to clean teeth and kill oral bacteria.
• Extracts of the bark and twings aer used to treat fevers, thirst, sickness, vomiting, jaundice, anorexia, dysentery and worms.
• The leaves are believed to aid digestion and stimulate the liver(hence their role in healing jaundice). Folk wisdom says that the infusion can treat lung conditions and decrease glucose levels in diabetics.
• Dried leaves and seed oil have been traditionally used to protect stored foods and fabrics from insect damage.
• In some rural areas, meat and fish are cleaned with neem water and then stored with dried neem leaves.
• Research shows that a special chemical in neem prevents insects from feeding and reproducing properly. That’s why, villages, the walls and floor of houses are painted with a mixture of cow dung, clay and neem oil, which keeps bugs away. Neem based insecticides have been shown to be effective against over 200 different varieties, including head lice, fleas, locusts and mosquitoes.
• The bark yields a fibre that is woven into rope.
• Neem seeds can be used to make hardboard.
• The sap can be made into alcoholic today.
• Neem flower honey, although bitter-tasting, heals many an ailment.
• The oil is burned in lamps.
• The seed, husk and wood are all used for fuel.
• Traditional craftsmen carve toys, figurines and small boxes out of neem wood.
• Cabinets and chests made of its wood are not only sturdy, but repel termites and insects.
• Neem timbre is great for making carts, tools, bridges, poles and boats.
• Neem bark gum is used as an adhesive for traditional Indian mural paintings.
• The refined oils used in nail polishes, shampoos, toothpastes and massage creams.
• Leaf-based extracts are used for making face creams and other skincare products.

HEAL WITH NEEM:

• Chewing five very soft leaves purifies blood. Improves voice quality and helps prevent chronic diseases. Find them bitter? Just boil or fry them in butter or Olive oil for a more pleasant taste.
• Regular brushing with a neem stub keeps teeth white,shining,strong and disease free. The next best thing use neem-based toothpaste.
• Heal simple cuts and wounds with a paste of its leaves.
• Boil water, and add a handful of leaves. Let cool, and have a bath in it to keep skin problems at bay.
• In ayurveda, neem is considered to be tridoshic, that is it balances all three doshas: vata, pitta and kapha.
  
• Drinking neem leaf juice helps a lot in skin diseases, diabetes and allergies.
• Hair fall? Putting a few drops of neem oil in your nose might help. A scalp massage with the oil at night prevents dandruff.
• Sprinkle dried leaves in your suitcases and among woolens to keep pests away.Tuck a few dried leaves In your rice jar, it keeps it free of insects.