THE LEGEND OF KURINJI
(M.P.Lambert Isaac)
The blooming of kuriniji this year at Kodaikanal not only attracted the attention of Botanists but also stimulated our Tamil scholars to go deep into the classics to find references there to this wonder plant. It has been referred to by Cock Burns in 1862 from Ootacamund hills and also recorded subsequently five times with intervals of 12 years till 1922. Further, Chos E. Brown has written a letter to “Mail” on July 15th, 1946, about his three observations from 1922 to 1946. Even up to 1958 nobody was much interested in this plant ; but this year the widespread propaganda of some dailies and magazines about its occurrence in Kodai hills created an interest in many, which resulted in the complete destruction of this plant around Shenbaganur, Coaker’s Walk and other surrounding areas. People who longed to see the actual blooming were disappointed, for the ‘kurinji’ became a business proposition. Not even a single plant with flower was spared, and every twig with flowers was cut and sold by local people. When I visited kodailkanal by the middle of September,69 I had to bargain with some urchins who carried bundles of these twigs for sale. My colleagues and I were able to see only the flowerless plants in their natural environment around Silver Cascade.
After a month I had the opportunity of visiting Kodai again with a batch of students some colleagues and our Principal. This time we went straight to Berijam, which is about 15 kilometres from kodaikanal town. Though we were not able to see the ‘Blue carpet’ as described by some dailies, we had a collection of flowers, and every students began to hunt for the flowers and succeeded in getting more than one. But the interesting thing was that the first one to show all of us a blue flower, describing it wrongly as kurinji was my colleague in the Tamil Department !
The Botanical term for kurinji is strobilanthes ; and it belongs to the family Acanthaceae the family to which the common ‘kanagambaram’ belongs. We know several varieties of ‘kanagambaram’, and so also there are about 200 species of Strobilanthes in Asia, out of which half the number occur in Western Ghats. In 1932 Dr. P.F. Fyson, the then Principal of Presidency College, Madras described this plant in his book, ‘Flora of the South Indian Hill Stations’. Mr. J.S. Gamble in his book, ‘Flora of the Presidency of Madras’ (Vol. II) described 46 species of Strobilanthes which occur in Nilgiris Kodaikanal, Palani Hills, Kotagiri, Doddabetta, Coorg, Malabar, Cochin, Anamalai Hills, Courtallam and the Western Ghats. The first reference to its occurrence in Ootacamund was made by Sir Thomas Munro, the first British Governor of Madras. In 1826, when he crossed Kotagiri and Doddabetta (which is situated 8800 feet above MSL) he saw the entire valley in full bloom of these Strobilanthes plants. He wrote to his wife after seeing this beautiful view. “The view is so grand and magnificient that I shall always regret your not having seen it.” There is no wonder that such a scene should have stimulated our Tamil Poets to compose many poems in praise of these rare blue flowers.
The ‘kurinji’ which blooms once in 12 years is Strobilanthes kunthianus. There are many other species which bloom once in 14 years or in 6 years or
P.Kuttyjaskar (M.P.Lambert Isaac)
The blooming of kuriniji this year at Kodaikanal not only attracted the attention of Botanists but also stimulated our Tamil scholars to go deep into the classics to find references there to this wonder plant. It has been referred to by Cock Burns in 1862 from Ootacamund hills and also recorded subsequently five times with intervals of 12 years till 1922. Further, Chos E. Brown has written a letter to “Mail” on July 15th, 1946, about his three observations from 1922 to 1946. Even up to 1958 nobody was much interested in this plant ; but this year the widespread propaganda of some dailies and magazines about its occurrence in Kodai hills created an interest in many, which resulted in the complete destruction of this plant around Shenbaganur, Coaker’s Walk and other surrounding areas. People who longed to see the actual blooming were disappointed, for the ‘kurinji’ became a business proposition. Not even a single plant with flower was spared, and every twig with flowers was cut and sold by local people. When I visited kodailkanal by the middle of September,69 I had to bargain with some urchins who carried bundles of these twigs for sale. My colleagues and I were able to see only the flowerless plants in their natural environment around Silver Cascade.
After a month I had the opportunity of visiting Kodai again with a batch of students some colleagues and our Principal. This time we went straight to Berijam, which is about 15 kilometres from kodaikanal town. Though we were not able to see the ‘Blue carpet’ as described by some dailies, we had a collection of flowers, and every students began to hunt for the flowers and succeeded in getting more than one. But the interesting thing was that the first one to show all of us a blue flower, describing it wrongly as kurinji was my colleague in the Tamil Department !
The Botanical term for kurinji is strobilanthes ; and it belongs to the family Acanthaceae the family to which the common ‘kanagambaram’ belongs. We know several varieties of ‘kanagambaram’, and so also there are about 200 species of Strobilanthes in Asia, out of which half the number occur in Western Ghats. In 1932 Dr. P.F. Fyson, the then Principal of Presidency College, Madras described this plant in his book, ‘Flora of the South Indian Hill Stations’. Mr. J.S. Gamble in his book, ‘Flora of the Presidency of Madras’ (Vol. II) described 46 species of Strobilanthes which occur in Nilgiris Kodaikanal, Palani Hills, Kotagiri, Doddabetta, Coorg, Malabar, Cochin, Anamalai Hills, Courtallam and the Western Ghats. The first reference to its occurrence in Ootacamund was made by Sir Thomas Munro, the first British Governor of Madras. In 1826, when he crossed Kotagiri and Doddabetta (which is situated 8800 feet above MSL) he saw the entire valley in full bloom of these Strobilanthes plants. He wrote to his wife after seeing this beautiful view. “The view is so grand and magnificient that I shall always regret your not having seen it.” There is no wonder that such a scene should have stimulated our Tamil Poets to compose many poems in praise of these rare blue flowers.
The ‘kurinji’ which blooms once in 12 years is Strobilanthes kunthianus. There are many other species which bloom once in 14 years or in 6 years or
Dept. of Zooogy
Pope's college
Sawyerpuram. 628 251
Tamil nadu
India
