Meet Purushothama Kamath, a horticulturist, who is on a mission to protect endangered herbs and trees, is part of AYURVEDA TRAILS and COCHIN TRAILS.

A quiet spot of lush greenery right in the heart of the city, enter into Alungal Farms. Owned by A.V. Purushothama Kamath, 'Gurukul' as the farm set in an area of one and a half acres is called, is home to more than 600 rare medicinal flora. There is a meditative calm about the century-old ancestral home of Kamath. A natural canopy, is formed by a huge mango tree laden with juicy Jahangir mangoes on which the 'Changalam Peranda', a rare old medicinal creeper intertwines with bright red berries. There are thick aerial roots and a Brazilian cherry tree with small cherries that resemble tiny, ripe tomatoes overlooks the verandah.

Sitting in the coolness of the verandah, Kamath unravels the tale of this success story. He says that they have been living in the typically traditional way with a passion for horticulture. Horticulture is in my blood. Both my father and grandfather were agriculturists. Some years back, I read about rare medicinal plants facing extinction and wanted to do my bit to save at least 10 varieties. That's how I got started.

The farm is the result of his vast hands-on experience and keen observation. He is very particular in finding out the details regarding the plants he has collected. This he does from books and partly from Botany professors. He has in his possession several ancient granthas based on horticulture.
There are lots of duplicates among these exotic plants. They are often mistaken for the original species. Pointing to a short tree with almond-shaped leaves growing in clusters, he says, This is really Malaveppe, but was thought to be Devadaru, which is usually not found in Kerala, but in the Himalayan region.  Kamath has a rare seedless collection of jackfruit, mango, chaampa and lemon. Then there is the valliplaavu which grows to a height of only around four feet, sometimes near the roots and bears very sweet jackfruit. All the work behind this venture is done by Kamath himself. Family members lend him a helping hand.

Text: THE HINDU, Parvathy Menon