Pics: Kishore Peraje/Ramesh Pandith

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Aug 2: This year, Aati Amavasya falls on Tuesday August 2, and people living in Karnataka coast have traditionally been consuming tea prepared by using bark of Paale tree, also known as Satni Rooku in Konkani and Devil's or Spiriti's tree in English. The bark is boiled in water by adding garlic, turmeric,and fenugreek seeds. The people believe that this tea is an ideal potion that immunizes them against diseases which afflict them during rainy season. It is also a deep-rooted belief that consuming this concoction early in the morning and paying obeisance at temples also protects them against counter affects of their past wrongdoings if any.

Elderly men from families leave their houses early morning on Aati Amavasya, visit thickets or forests where these trees are found, and scrape off their barks with sickles. Then the concoction is made, consumed, and people take bath. They then take holy dip in temple ponds and offer prayers at temples.

Naraharati Parvata, Karinjeshwara,and Kirimanjeshwara are some of the temples which witness huge crowds on Aati Amavasya.

People believe that consumption of this Kashaya vests their bodies with the power to handle evil affects of climatic changes experienced in this season. They also feel that this potion enables them to handle fear of spirits, changes in food consumption because of availability of several other vegetables, like leafy vegetables, roots etc. It is said that ancient practitioners of native medicines had found this magical remedy after research. The practitioners of native medicines say that the bark of this tree holds these medicinal properties only in the first three days of the month.

In spite of adding garlic, pepper, cumin seeds, fenugrek seeds etc as per individual practices and tastes, the drink happens to be bitter and astringent. For collecting of bark too there is a procedure. The drink is normally consumed before sunrise on Aati Amavasya.

Every year, a few instances of people dying or falling ill because of using bark of wrong trees are reported during this period. As barks are collected before dawn when light is minimal, it would help if trees are identified clearly and marked a day earlier.

It is said that extracts from this tree are also made use of by Ayurveda and homeopathic practitioners and those who follow Chinese system of treatment. On Aati Amavasya day, a little Kashaya is also dispensed to devotees at Sri Krishna Math Udupi.