Stay logged in to proceed with bookings, orders and offers.
On changing the terminal, you will loose items in your cart. Are you sure you want to change your terminal?
A flower that casts a spell with its vibrant beauty and miraculous attributes.
On my first visit to Almora in Uttarakhand, I learnt about buransh—the magical flower of the Himalayas. As I was heading to Binsar through a beautiful drive in the spring, I spotted clusters of trees covered in these bright red, bell-shaped flowers. Buransh is commonly and popularly known as rhododendron—"rhod" meaning rosy-red, and "dendron" meaning tree, in Greek. It is the state tree of Uttarakhand and is found in scenic higher altitude places such as the Flowers National Park in Gobindghat, Deoria Tal, Chopta, Harsil, Kausani, Barsar, Dodital, and Malla, in full bloom during spring. The bright red and dark pink varieties grow aplenty here. Although beautiful the whole year long, the sight of these trees in full bloom in the spring season is a surreal experience. Their sweet fragrance is sure to mesmerise even disinterested travellers.
The flowers mainly bloom during March and April. The locals pluck them from the higher forests and bring them to the village. Here, they are processed in a traditional style to extract the juice and pulp. On a visit to Kausani in mid-March, my host invited me to visit a processing unit in the nearby village. I accompanied him to find a group of women gathered in a circle, who were engaged in manually separating the stem and stamen from the flower petals. I noticed it was a labour-intensive process, as it took around an hour to sort a kilogram of buransh flowers. However, amidst the singing and laughter of the womenfolk, it seemed like a few minutes only. The buransh petals were then washed thoroughly and put in a big container along with an equal amount of water. Then they were boiled in a wood-burning stove for about 15-20 minutes.
Gradually, the water absorbed the essence, colour and fragrance of the petals. This was then strained into a container with the help of a sieve and a muslin cloth. Once the pulp cooled down, more juice was extracted by pressing the cloth with a wooden presser. A natural preservative called nisin—an antimicrobial peptide obtained from bacteria—was added to the extract. No artificial preservatives or chemicals were used in the process. Finally, the liquid extract was packaged and ready for sale. The locals readily use buransh for recipes like meethi chutney, murabba, sharbat, kheer and chai. However, for people like me, we have to settle for just the juice extract. In the course of my conversation with the ladies, I gathered a few recipes to try at home. Most of the stays in this area welcome you with buransh ka sharbat. The drink is sweet with a rich red colour and a velvety smooth texture. It is also readily available in the local juice outlets.
This ornamental flower possesses countless properties that are great for our health. Its concentrate is beneficial in treating diabetes, preventing cancer, reducing inflammation, curbing allergies, and keeping the heart healthy. As indigenous beauty brands adopt an organic approach, the buransh extract is used in a variety of products as it is known to prevent signs of ageing and for restoring the natural glow of the skin. It is a strong antioxidant that protects the skin from the harmful effects of sunlight and pollution. No wonder the women residing here are as radiant as the flower itself. Nothing goes to waste; the wood of the buransh tree is used as fuel and for making boxes, tool handles, and construction.
In my travels to Uttarakhand, I have often felt a sense of interdependence and co-existence between nature and the locals. This aspect is quite evident in the celebration of various folk festivals. Buransh Mahotsav is one such annual art and cultural festival that borrows its name from the flower. It is celebrated in Kausani and showcases various exhibitions, workshops, seminars and cultural programmes. Here, you will find organic tea, medicinal herbs, books on Uttarakhand, and hand-made products on display and for sale. The Phool Deyi Festival is a folk festival held for about a month from March to April. The landscape is covered in a blanket of colourful flowers, the red buransh being the centre of attraction. Here, children are taught to respect nature and conserve it. They collect different kinds of flowers and leave them on the doorstep of every house. It is believed that this ritual brings prosperity. For me, it was a rare indulgence in the scent and sight of this transforming spectacle in Tehri. The Himalayas hold the keys to age-old miracles. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that buransh flowers define the essence of Uttarakhand—the red colour symbolising its heart and reflecting the incomparable beauty of the state.
The Adani One expressly disclaims all liability, direct and indirect, in respect to actions taken or not taken based on any or all the contents of this Blog. The Blog is an opinion of the contributor based on the collation of data from various sources and is provided only for information purpose. Adani One does not canvass, advertise, solicit, invite or induct for any product, merchandise, information, brand or any other materials mentioned in the Blog, nor does it obtain any monetary benefit from the same. Reader is advised to read and apply his/her intellect and discretion in this regard. Any Intellectual Property mentioned in this blog belongs to the rightful owner. We do not intent to claim any interest over the same.
