Njavara Rice

Njavara is a special variety included in food for curative purposes. It has the properties to cure the basic ills affecting the circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems. Black Glumed Njavara has been used in Ayurveda treatment from the age of Charaka – ie. BC 600. Njavara is a healthy food with sweet taste and a trace of astringency in it. It gets easily digested and is a suitable food for people of all age groups. Boiled Njavara is a good weaning food for infants, particularly those with low body weight. Njavara rice gruel made in cow’s milk improves lactation. It is also ideal for anemic patients. Ayurveda acharyas suggest it as a suitable food for people suffering from emaciation, rheumatoid arthritis, hemorrhoids, diabetes, tuberculosis, oligospermia and also for improving lactation. It is traditionally given as a supplementary diet to the under-weight and also consumed as a replenishing food called ‘Karkadaka kanji’ during the monsoon season along with certain other herbal medicines. (Karkadaka kanji is gruel prepared with Njavara Rice and some medicinal herbs) Njavara is considered a safe food for diabetes patients. In spite of all these benefits, nowadays people growing Njavara as a food crop. It is very scarce and is considered as a medicinal plant. Regular cleansing of head with washed away water of Njavara Rice one hour before bath is said to be useful to prevent premature hair fall. Njavara Rice bran oil is used for a wide range of aches and painful conditions like the cervical spondylosis, low back ache, paralysis, rheumatoid arthritis. Ayurvedic doctors effectively use Njavara Rice paste, lepanam, to treat psoriasis. The paste is also an excellent remedy for skin lesions

The mixcture of Milk and njavara rice was used as a traditional facial pack in the past.