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Does the name Gandhamardan parvat (hills) ring a bell? It is the
mountain range, where Hanuman—the valorous monkey god—was sent, in
search of the wonder herb, sanjeevani—a whiff of which could revive
Lakshman, who had been struck down by enemies. But it was not an
easy errand…as poor Hanuman found out. Gandhamardan had such an
enormous range of medicinal and aromatic plants growing on it, that
the
confused Hanuman decided to uproot the entire mountain, and carry it
with him, so that the healer himself could choose the right
variety!! Of course, once the job was done he put it right back in
its place again. And Gandhamardan stands tall even today in western
Orissa, with its treasure of fragrant plants. Of course, the stock
is much depleted, since the era of the Ramayana. But even now it is
used as a source of raw material, not only by the local vaids
(traditional medics), but by large pharmaceutical and cosmetic
companies.
But this is not the tale of Gandhamardan, picturesque as it might
be. It is about the power of smell, and the role it plays in the
life of a human being. And about the multi-billion dollar global
industry it sustains.
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