The Life Above Us

Most of us have stronger admiration for things that are beyond our reach, the farther it is, the stronger our admiration would be. This peculiarity pushes us most of the times into a sorrow over our inability to acquire it. And much time is spent on things that are inaccessible and unavailable.

But how often do we try to observe the things that exist around us? And how much we would have observed them and how many times do we have appreciated the things that are in our close reach, most of us will have a ‘nay’ within. The campus of our very own college, Kristu Jayanti College has one such example, most of us spend a good amount of time loitering through the circumference of it but efforts to understand and appreciate the most beautiful thing in the campus, its trees and plants are very rare.

To start with, the patch of greenery beside the playground is home to over a dozen trees. Amongst it stands a majestic shade that students loosely refer to as, ‘the wisdom tree’. It is, in fact, the Indian tulip tree or scientifically, Thespesia populnea. The tree, popularly called Hoovarasi or Adavibende in Kannada is high in medicinal values and other uses. It is traditionally used to cure rheumatism, strong coughs, dysentery, indigestion and the common cold. It is also helpful in the treatment of inflammation, fistula, Jaundice, insect bites and even migraine headache. The decoction made from its bark is widely used to treat serious skin diseases like psoriasis and scabies.

The leaves and flowers of it are widely consumed, especially in south India and are often used to make many medicinal food preparations. The wood of it is extensively used in the making of musical instruments like Thavil and to make chairs and toys due to the elastic nature of its wood. It is also used as sealants in boats and to make wooden utensils.

All this apart, what is amazing is that the college was awarded a grant of over ten lakh rupees to study the ability of the tree in fighting skin cancer, the study can help millions who are suffering from the merciless clutches of cancer as a mitigating factor or a cure for it. And yet it stands in a humble posture giving shade to the students.