Mahua Tree with the botanical name Madhuca longifolia, and also evocatively named Indian butter tree or honey tree. or mahuwa, a large, Indian tropical tree native to the plains and forests of northern and central parts of India, and also Southern India

Mahua (Madhuca longifolia)

Did you know that the Mahua (Madhuca longifolia) is rightly called the tree of the poor due to its social and economic importance to the rural population of India?

Did you know that the Gond tribe who are spread over 5 different states of Central provinces, for whom the Mahua tree is very sacred, and is known to be a “Kalpavriksha”. a wish-fulfilling divine tree in Hindu mythology?

Mahua Tree with the botanical name Madhuca longifolia, and also evocatively named Indian butter tree or honey tree. or mahuwa, a large, Indian tropical tree native to the plains and forests of northern and central parts of India, and also Southern India ( monsoon forests of the Western Ghats from Konkan and southwards), is particularly held holy by many tribals of India, and the flowers of this tree are a source of food and in particular of liquor. It is a fast-growing tree that grows to approximately 20 meters in height, possesses evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage, and belongs to the family Sapotaceae. Mahua blossoms (the nectar- filled flowers) of the mahua tree are the main ingredients in a traditionally distilled wine that is both nutritious and replete with spiritual meaning.

Synonymous vernacular names for this tree in some of the Indian states are: Mahua and Mohwa in Hindi speaking belt, Mahwa,Mahula and Maul in Bengal, Mahwa and Mohwro in Maharashtra, Mahuda in Gujarat, Ippa in Andhra Pradesh (Telugu), Illupei and Nattu-iluppai in Tamilnadu, Ilipe, Ippe, Sannaippe, movaro in Karnataka, Poonam and Ilupa in Kerala (Malayalam) and Mahula, Moha and Modgi in Orissa (Oriya). 

Mahua is a large almost evergreen tree with a stright, cylindical stem, growing to over 25 m, 90 cm dia; its young shoots are silky; bark is dark, yellowish-grey to brown, slightly furrowed; flowers blaze red with drops of mily juice; stiuples are linear, 2 cm long; its leaves are oblamceolate, tapeing to both ends, pedicel slender, with 2 stamenes in 2 series and bearing one seed. 

Mahua tree and its flower are greatly reverred by the many tribals of the five central provinces of India who consider it as their cultural heritage. When the Mahua flowers first appear the tribals proceed to the forest and worship under the Mahua tree. A forest tribe called the Mannewars of Central, Provinces pick the flowers of the mahua, they wrorship the tree and offer it some of the liquor distilled from the new flowers along with a fowl and a goat.

For the Gond tribes spread in Orissa, and other central provinces, Mahua tree is very sacred and is known to be a “Kalpavriksha” (a wish-fulfilling divine tree in Hindu mythology) and is reverred from birth to death ceremonies. During the weddings, the bride and groom are made to hold the sticks of Mahua tree. The Mahua drinks are served in marriages. Also, the dead corpse is smeared with Mahua oil. A “Mahua Tyohar” (festival) is celebrated every year before rains, in honor of their beloved tree. 

In "The Book of Nature" by Ruskin Bond (famous Indian author of books in English) mentions about a story of a tribal "Bagdi bridegroom who goes through a mock marriage with a mahua tree. He embraces it and daubs it with vermillion, his right wrist is bound to it with thread and after he is released from the tree the thread is sued to attach bunches of mahua leaves to his wrist."

In ancient India, beautiful garlands were made out of mahua flowers at the time of the swayamvara (the ancient practice of choosing a husband from among a list of suitors by a girl of marriageable age). Sanskrit poets have spoken very highly of the beauty and delicacy of the Mahua tree. 

The major flowering season of Mahua tree is from March and April. The flowers don’t remain for too long, blooming at night and it falls off before dawn. The yellow flower spreads around the Mahua tree like a carpet. The tribals are known to collect these flowers and sell them to the local traders. The flowers of this tree are fomented in making the country liquor called "Mahuwa". The main ingredients used for making Mahuwa are the Chhowa Gud (Mollasses in granular form) and dried Mahuwa flowers. Tribal people, men and women, consume this drink and is an obligatory item during celebrations and evening activities. Its fruits are useful in preparing the oil which the village folk use to light their cottages. The mahua flower is also edible and is a food item for tribals. They use it to make syrup for medicinal purposes.

This ancient tree is found planted along the roads and in front of temples in Southern India and in Sri Lanka. Its wood is used in boat building. for keels and planking. 

The Mahuwa oil (solid at ambient temperature), called “bassia oil”. extracted from the Tree's seeds, is used for the care of the skin, to manufacture soap or detergents, and as a vegetable butter. It is also a laxative and considered useful in habitual constipation, piles and haemorrhoids and as an emetic. 

Madhuca longifolia's pharmaceutical trials are listed as anti-inflammatory, anti-fertility, anticancer, antioxidant, and alleviate pain. Its seeds give significantly high yield of fats, whereas the butter seems to be a valuable sources of lipi-soluble bioactive and essential fatty acids. The high linoleic and oleic acids content makes it nutritionally valuable. Its flowers are a rich source of carbohydrates, proteins, dietary fibers, in addition to minerals like iron and calcium. The most interesting attribute of the mahua flowers is their long shelf life after drying.

In the Indian state of Karnataka, there is a strong belief that a person venturing into politics would be succeesful as a politician if he gives his first lecture standing under the Mahua tree, known as Hippe Mara ಹಿಪ್ಪೆಮರ (lippe Mara). It is also sometimes called as Chloroform tree. Some of the negative effects noted while standing under this tree during its fresh blooming stage could give headache and stomach ache. Hippe enne or Mahuwa Oil is highly viscous, appears like cow's butter oil in colour, and mud lamps lighted with this oil shines lighter but cools the eyes.   

To sum up, the Mahua tree, in the context of rural economy in general and tribal economy in particular, is considered a boon by the Tribals of India who are forest dwellers and they are thus very keen conservators of this tree.

- Narasipur Char