Magical Mahua-Elixir of Life

“Mahua, oh Mahua, thou art my love divine. 

Thou dost fill my heart with joy, 

and my soul with wine.”

(a popular folk song celebrating Mahua tree and its products)

Few trees in the Indian sub-continent offer such generous gifts to the people as does the famed Mahua tree. Its a tree whose economic benefits far exceed any other. For many communities it is their virtual life-line. Tall, lush, luxuriant and densely shaded, the tree itself is one of the most beautiful and stately trees; and combined with the bounties that it so willingly and liberally bestows on the communities around, it can truly be considered one of the most outstandingly unique symbol of nature’s gift to humanity. In tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and that of adjoining states of Maharashtra, Orissa, Andhra, Jharkhand, as also of several other states, Mahua flowers, fruits and seed command a significance few commodities rival. It touches their lives in endless ways, whether it is a source of food and nutrition, or for alleviating their quotidian worries and bring them moments of uninhibited and undiluted cheer and exultation. In tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and that of adjoining states of Maharashtra, Orissa, Andhra, Jharkhand, as also of several other states, Mahua flowers, fruits and seed command a significance few commodities rival. It touches their lives in endless ways, whether it is a source of food and nutrition, or for alleviating their quotidian worries and bring them moments of uninhibited and undiluted cheer and exultation. Highly valued for its diverse products, including its flowers, seeds,  bark and oil, the tree remains immortalised in the many legends and anecdotes related to it and its products. Folklores and poems celebrate it; songs and dances toast its intimacy and integration in  countless communities. 

The Tree 

Mahua, (botanical name Madhuca longifolia) is an Indian tropical tree found largely in the central, southern and north Indian plains and forests as also in neighbouring Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. It is also known as madhūka, madkam, mahuwa, Butter Tree, mahwa, modulo, Iluppai , Mee or vippa chettu. It is a fast-growing tree that grows to approximately 20 meters in height, possesses evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage, and belongs to the family Sapotaceae. Quite comfortably in the arid environments, it is a prominent tree in tropical mixed deciduous forests through out India with the exception of north eastern states.

The Flower

rOf all the bounties that this tree offers to us so selflessly, Mahua flowers are extra-ordinary in diverse ways. With a heady fragrance and as a harbinger of joy, excitement and well being, Mahua flowers  occupy an unrivalled place in the social, economic and cultural lives of several communities.

They are not just of cultural significance to tribal communities but also the fulcrum of their economy The mood is festive in large tracts of forests and lands central India as adivasi communities gather the mahua flowers, that not just spread their heady fragrance but also brings smiles to their faces as a bountiful harvest means prosperity to the tribal people who depend on the flower for their livelihoods and their wellness. The eminently edible flowers of Mahua are rich in total sugars, out of which reducing sugar are present in high amount. The flowers are thus fermented to produce the alcoholic drink mahua, a country liquor.Mahua flowers are also used to manufacture jams.Tribal co-operatives in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra have taken pioneering lead in producing this uniquely flavoured jam. 

The Seed, The Bark, The Timber And The Oil

Cultivated in warm and humid regions, the oleaginous seeds of Mahua, in addition to its flowers and wood, are another valuable gift to the community. It produces between 20 and 200 kg of seeds annually per tree, depending on maturity. The fat derived from its seeds (solid at ambient temperature) is used for the care of the skin, to manufacture soap or detergents, and as a vegetable butter. It can also be used as a fuel oil. The seed cakes obtained after extraction of oil constitute very good fertilizer. Several parts of the tree, including the bark, are used for their medicinal properties.The leaves are fed to the moth Antheraea paphia, which produces tassar silk, a form of wild silk of commercial importance in India. Leaves, flowers and fruits are also lopped to feed goats and sheep.The alkaloids in the pressed cakes of mahua seeds is reportedly used in pisciculture management in aquaculture ponds in some parts of India. The cake serves to fertilise the pond, which can be drained, sun dried, refilled with water and restocked with fish fingerlings.

The website of Trifed, an outfit under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India reports: “Mahua oil has emollient properties and is used in skin disease, rheumatism and headache. It is also a laxative and considered useful in habitual constipation, piles and haemorrhoids and as an emetic. Native tribes also used it as an illuminant and hair fixer.” Among its latest uses is as a biodiesel. Across the country, Mahua serves all communities. The Tamils have several uses for this tree (iluppai in Tamil). The saying “aalai illaa oorukku iluppaip poo charkkarai” indicates when there is no cane sugar available, the flower of Ilupai( Mahua) can be used, as it is very sweet. And yet, Tamil tradition cautions that excessive use of this flower will result in imbalance of thinking and may even lead to lunacy. Tribals of Surguja and Bastar in Chhattisgarh and people of Western Orissa, Santhals of Santhal Paraganas (Jharkhand), Koya tribals of North-East Andhra Pradesh, Bhil tribals inwestern Madhya Pradesh and tribals of North Maharashtra consider the tree and the mahua drink as part of their cultural heritage. Mahua is an essential drink for tribal men and women during celebrations.The liquor produced from the flowers is largely colourless, opaque and not very strong. It is inexpensive and the production is largely done in home stills.Mahua fruit are an essential food of Western Odisha people. The tree has a great cultural significance. There are many varieties of food prepared with its fruits and flowers. Also, Western Odisha people used to pray to this tree during festivals.Is it therefore, surprising that this tree is hailed as holy, sacred and is prayed as a deity on all important festivals and religious engagements? But more than anything else, it is a supreme example of nature’s self-less benefactor to humanity, seldom grateful and ever -exploiting.

The Stately luxuriance

Stands tall and majestic

The dense canopy

That allows sun- dappled floor

Just Occasionally!

Early in the morning

I witness the soft

Sprawling carpet of

White round juicy pebbles

Aglow in the callow morning sun!

And the fragrance 

At once intoxicating and heady

Lightens the mood

Relieving me of worries

That consume my mundane life!

What an exhilaration

Soothing as a salve

Exciting as the first love

Nourishing  as  elixir

Bliss and delight untold!

O Mahua tree!

Who created you

Thou self- less giver

Of bounties, rich and many

A rare gift to humanity! 

(To Be Continued…..)

(Writer is an IAS officer. Retired as Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting)