Vetiver’s ‘Super Blades of Green’ Are Rooted in India
By Meenakshi J.
Ver translates to roots in Tamil, and very aptly, vettiveyr stands for roots that are to be dugout. Photo by Madhusudhanan J.
A few months back, on a trip to Moscow, I happened to visit a glossy mall to buy some essential oils. One of the base ingredients read uncannily familiar. I quickly dug through the annals of my memory, only to conclude that it’s native to us Indians, to be splurged on.
Vetiver. Ushira. Kuruveru. Vettiveyr
One component. Too many names.
So, what is vettiveyr ? It’s the Tamil moniker for a perennial grass with the botanical name Chrysopogon zizanioides, earlier known as Vetiveria zizanioides, belonging to the family Poaceae. With origins in India especially southern India, vettiveyr is also known as ramaccha in Malayalam and kuruveru in Telugu. A quick google search on the etymology reveals the journey of this grass’s many names from Tamil to French and now to its present usage of vetiver in English.
Ver translates to roots in Tamil, and very aptly, vettiveyr stands for roots that are to be dugout. While its green blades are used as cattle fodder and for other purposes, the roots of this grass are considered a farmer’s pride and are much sought after. That’s because the essential oil extracted from the roots of vetiver through the process of steam distillation is a base ingredient in cosmetics and perfumery.
However, long before the likes of Tom Ford and Hermes made use of vetiver in perfumery, Indians have been using this tuft of green and its redolent roots in their everyday life. And, according to historical records, India has been an exporter of vetiver for thousands of years, especially to the European countries.
The plant finds a mention in ancient Sanskrit tomes of Ayurveda as ushira. Over the years during the Mughal rule, its name got corrupted to khus, so much so that people from the Middle East often mistook it to be khus-khus, the seeds of poppy. The usage of khus is also considered indispensable when it comes to bottling attar and herbal care products.
“The fragrant roots of vetiver are intrinsic in the making of a wide range of personal care products and candles,” says Kalpana Manivannan, an organic farmer and sustainability coach. “I use vetiver essential oil and its dry powder to make organic homemade soaps. Also, a few drops of vetiver oil in warm water imparts a soothing effect to tired feet.”
Many Sangam Tamil literary works, written more than 2,000 years ago, also mention the vetiver as one of the ingredients to purify water for potability and in spa treatments, apart from acting as a coolant. For example, in the Tamil epic of Silappathikaaram, the vetiver is categorized under omaligai, a collective Tamil term used then to denote ingredients that enhance the bathing experience.
Now, when I look back, vetiver has been an intrinsic part of my growing up years in southern India. In fact, as a kid, it was a ritual to pillion ride with my dad on our metallic black Vespa to the nearby market in a run-up to the summers. This ride was solely meant to buy enough vetiver paddings for the evaporative desert cooler at home, procure new vetiver screens for windows and stock up on aromatic vetiver oil. While the paddings went into air coolers, the aromatic oil was blended and diffused inside its water compartment. And the coolness imparted by these roots complemented the waft of its sweetness that filled our home with comfort against the scorching heat.
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“The vetiver concentrate is mixed with potable water, cane sugar or palm jaggery and drunk, to relieve dehydration and constipation,” says Ramamoorthy S. Photo by Meenakshi J.
Vetiver is considered one of the triad functional roots of the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, that are often used in dishing out delicious refreshments and pickles. The other two roots being nannari (Indian sarsaparilla ) and magali (swallow root).
In his book Ayurveda: Life, Health, and Longevity, the American author Robert Svoboda talks about the extensive use of vetiver roots in Ayurveda. He mentions that the roots of vetiver are rich in antioxidants and nutrients, which is why they’re widely used in treating urinary tract infections, acne, summer rashes as well as vomiting and diarrhea symptoms.
Millions of homes across the Tamil diaspora regularly consume vetiver concoction with slight bitter undertones owing to its medicinal and cooling properties. Refreshing summer drinks made of nannari and vettivyer are quite popular, especially in the smaller towns and villages of Tamil Nadu.
“In Nagercoil and other villages of the Kanniyakumari district, during the summer, one can spot hundreds of road-side carts selling chilled glasses of nannari sherbet and vettivyer concentrate,” says Ramamoorthy S., who’s been working in the food and beverage sector for decades and is a resident of Nagercoil, one of the southernmost towns in India. “The vetiver concentrate is mixed with potable water, cane sugar or palm jaggery and drunk, to relieve dehydration and constipation.”
Vetiver also acts as a natural filter, apart from imparting flavor and coolness to water. Most Tamil households buy two dried varieties of vetiver, nonedible and edible, which are determined based on the extent of the cleanliness of roots. While the former is only procured during the hotter months of March through May, the latter is regularly purchased from the nearest naatu marundhu or mooligai marunthu kadai, a Tamil term for folk medicine store that also stocks Ayurveda products.
Even during my childhood, vetiver roots were invariably stocked at home, ours being a Tamil household, in keeping with a practice followed, for maybe centuries. The mannpaanai, or earthen water pot, at home unfailingly had a tuft of dried vetiver roots carefully wrapped in a piece of muslin at the bottom. This was during the ’80s and ’90s, when today's water filters were mere concepts tucked inside the pages of our chemistry books.
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In India, the grass blades of vetiver are still widely used in making thatched roofs over homes to escape the heat. It’s also grown in agricultural lands as contour protection. Apart from household and commercial uses of its grass and roots, the vetiver grass also holds cultural significance in India.
Vetiver grows extensively across the state of Bihar, in the Gangetic plains, where it is known as katraghas in local parlance and considered sacred. From being used in folk art to playing a pivotal role in festivities, vetiver has been integral to the Mithila region, in the flood plains of northern Bihar, for many centuries now.
“The Sama Chakeva festival that’s celebrated during the months of October and November by the Maithil community, heralds the migratory season of birds from the Himalayan region to the plains of Bihar,” says Srishti Jha, a journalist and writer, who belongs to Bihar. “It also is a festival to celebrate the bonding between brothers and sisters. Women across the community come together to sing folk songs. They make dolls and accessories with dried vetiver grass and use organic colors to create patterns on them which is a time-honored tradition.”
The Maithili people also use the stalk of vetiver in the making of ancient Sikki artwork, as it abundantly grows in the region. Especially done by the womenfolk, it has helped in the establishment of Sikki art as a cottage industry, providing employment and sustenance to many households.
“The dried grass’s shiny and smooth texture works best to create coiled patterns in handicraft,” she says. “They are also easy to be colored, hence, it is often referred to as the golden grass in Mithila. Owing to this, vetiver has been a marker of Maithili women’s economic independence and creative freedom, even if it is inside the boundaries of their homes.”
While vetiver has always been used for making handicrafts in northern India, it’s only in recent years that it’s being utilized in the making of wicker products like mats, sandals, organic scrubbers and air purifiers. The ongoing pandemic has also brought forth modernized products like vetiver masks into the Indian market, opening the lid on innovations and creative possibilities with this economically and culturally significant grass.
