Anurag Kaul
There are two distinct memories I have of neem and its role during my childhood years. One, its leaves being dried and then placed between clothes, blankets and quilts to be kept away post-winters. The idea was to use dried neem leaves as a natural pesticide to prevent insects and bacteria from ruining them. Two, my great grandmother insisting on me being given neem ka kaada (neem leaves boiled in certain amount of water till it reduced to half) whenever I had cold and cough. I remember her telling my mother that neem leaf not only triggers the immune system, its strong anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties flushes away harmful toxins and other impurities from the blood to build stronger immunity. And it did help though I must admit the concoction was extremely bitter.
Over time, I got busy with life and lost touch with this often touted life saviour even by Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and modern allopathy streams. Till it re-entered my life again when I saw it in the form of powder one fine day at a chemist shop in Noida. As memories came flooding back, I picked up Duh Neem Powder from Digvijaya Herbals, paid Rs 129 for 70 g and got it home. My teenage daughter has issues related to acne and I knew the neem powder would help solve the problem in a few weeks. I advised her to apply neem powder paste on the acne and leave it overnight as it would help lessen the scars, blackheads and pigmentation.
Once again, there was good news as it happened decades back. As the cold-cough had disappeared back then, acne is fast evaporating now. Not this alone, we all have even started drinking a teaspoon of the neem powder with water to strengthen our immunity. These are testing Covid-19 times, after all!
