Etymology and Names of Paarijat or coral jasmin
Har shingar is also called Coral Jasmine, Tree of Sorrow, Queen of the night and Night-flowering Jasmine. It is called Har shingar, Shefali, Paarijat in Hindi, Shefali and Shiuli in Bengali, Singarei in Manipuri , Hkhewaliin Assamese , Pagadamalle in Telugu , Pavizhamalli or pavala malli in Tamil, Goli in Kannada , Paarijatam in Malayalam. In Sanskrit it is called Parijata, Prajakta, Vijaya, Subaha, Nalakumkumaka, , Suklangi, Chakrabrinta, Kharapatraka, Rajanihasa, Nisahasa, Praharshini, Pravalanalika, Vathari, Bhoothakeshi, Seetamanjari, Ragapushpi Nishipushpika. In Oriya we call it Ganga shiuli, Shingda hara, Shefali or Jhara Shefali.
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| Night-flowering Jasmine |
Its botanical name is Nyctanthes arbortristis and it belongs to the Oleaceae i.e. Jasmine family. Nyctanthes arbortristis literally means, night-blooming sad tree. The tree is also called the "tree of sorrow", because the flowers drop from their branches in the morning.
It’s generally native to southern Asia and it is a common flower in countries of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Thailand.
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| Shefali, Paarijat, |
It grows as a shrub or a small tree up to 10 m. tall, with a gray or greenish, rough and flaky bark. Leaves are simple, opposite, oval with pointed tips, 6–12 cm long and 2–6.5 cm broad, toothed at the edges and rough like sandpaper on the upper surface. The flowers are very sweet scented with waxy white, star-like petals and an orange-red tube in center which bloom in clusters. The flowers open at dusk and drop at dawn. The fruit is flat brown heart-shaped, 2 cm diameter and two seeded.
The flowers are used as yellow dye for clothing and the oil extracted from the flower is made perfume.
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| har singar tree. |
Every part of the tree is very useful and contains great ayurvedic/medicinal property. It is expectorant, bitter, tonic, febrifuge and is used to treat anxiety, restlessness, headache, gastritis, hepatitis, diarrhea, vertigo and dysmenorrhoea. It is used in the treatment of fungal skin infection, dry cough, and bronchitis and as an antidote for snakebites. The flowers are bitter, astringent, ophthalmic, stomachic, carminative, diuretic, anti-bilious, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, sedative, antifilarial and it cures arthritis. The decoction of flowers is used in treating gout. The leaves are used as a laxative. Paste of the leaves is used in skin related troubles, especially ringworm. The leaves are boiled in mustard oil and it is used externally for treating ringworm. The leaf juice is mixed with common salt or misri to treat intestinal worms. For gynecological problems 3 fresh leaves blended with 5 black peppers is taken. If 3-4 leaves are crushed to a fine paste and are boiled with water (the decoction or quatha called in Ayurveda); the water extract taken twice daily cures sciatica, swelling and pain. Juice of leaves taken with honey cures dry cough. Take a handful of leaves with 2-3 leaves of tulsi and boil in water and take two tbsp thrice daily to cure any kind of fever. The seeds are antibacterial and antifungal. The seed paste is externally applied on the piles. The decoction of its seeds is used as a hair tonic. Washing hair daily with this tonic helps to get rid of dandruff and lice. The bark is anti-microbial. The stem isantipyretic and antioxidant. 200 ml. decoction made from the leaves, barks, flower (when boiled with water and reduces to ¼ of initial quantity) cures arthritis.
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| Nyctanthes arbortristis |
I’ll relate one of my personal experiences of the efficacy of the wonderful property of this plant. Around ten years ago during my stay at Cuttack once I suffered from viral fever. The fever subsided after one week. But intermittent slow temperature and feverish feeling continued. I kept taking medicine. After one month I grew tired of them. I asked our housemaid to collect me some leaves of Har shingar tree. She gave it to me. I washed them and boiled them with 1 glass water. When the water was reduced to 1 cup I took it out and let it cool down. Then I crushed the boiled leaves a bit and extracted the water. I took it simply even without honey or Tulsi thrice daily for two or three days. My fever, temperature everything was completely cured without any further medication. I have tried and have got the good result. It has no side effect at all. It’s the miracle medicine for all kinds of fever no doubt.
N.B.👉All the above is solely for informational purpose and NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE ANY KIND OF MEDICAL ADVICE. A REGD. AYURVEDIC/MEDICAL PRACTITIONER SHOULD ALWAYS BE CONSULTED FOR IT.
