Haritaki

Sanskrit Name : Haritaki Latin Name : Terminalia chebula Retz Habitat : Abundant in Northern India,also occurs in Bihar,West Bengal,Assam,Central India and South India. Morphology : It is a large tree,25 to 30m height with rust-coloured or silvery hairs over the younger branch lets etc. Its wood is hard and bulky.Leaves - mostly sub opposite,distant,ovate or oblong-ovate,10-20 cm. long,decidious in the cold season.The inferior aspect of the leaves show two small nodules near its attachment with the stalk. Flowers - dull,white or yellowish,with a strong offensive smell,in spikes from the upper axils and in small terminal panicles. Fruits - obovoid or ellipsoidal from a broad base,glabrous,more or less 5-ribbed when dry. Seed - each fruit contains one seed,oval or hard.On breaking the shell of the seed an oval shaped pulp is obtained. Flowers in April-May and fruits in November-January.

The fruit of haritaki contains five rasas in different parts of fruit. 1) madhur (sweet) - the fruit pulp. 2) amla (sour) - the bulkyportion of the fruit. 3) tikta (bitter) - seed. 4)katu - the covering of the fruit. 5) kashaya (astringent) - thehard portion of the seed.

Indicative Price

Harad's Raw Herb - Rs.180

Harad's Powder - Rs.460

Harad's Oil - Rs.720

Harad's Extract - Rs.900

Kaiyaveda Nighantu described 3 varieties

1) Niranja

2) Vanaja

3) Parvatiya