Erukkam also known as CALOTROPIS GIGANTEA (botanically) from the family ASCLEPIADACEAE. This species is probably native of Indian Subcontinent and is medicinal in value through its Roots, Leaves. Grows on waste lands, rubbish heaps or at sandy barren lands.
Also used for Lord Shiva and mostly its White erukkam poo and not the Pink one.
Most interesting. Never have seen these before. Do you use them for medicinal purposes?
Ram: Their extracts have medicinal purposes and some of the common people use them to kill the female child born in their homes too (in a few villages in Tamil Nadu, though now its greatly arrested to a large extent), which is a sad development.
Ram,
I think it is not Erukkam Poo that is used in female infanticide, it is Arali Vidhai (Oleander Berries).
I am not sure about its medicinal properties either.
Ram: Ok … will check more on both questions raised.
This flower is seen in plenty towards Vinayaga Chathurthi. This is a favourite flower of Lord Vinayaga.
Ram: Noted sir, Thanks.
Ram is quite correct Mr Jacob!!!
At times, the mother is forced to hire a sweeper for a small sum of 25 rupees (50 cents) to dispose of the child by simply poisoning the baby with the latex of the calitropis plant, or holding her so close to a table that she cannot breath.
Response from Ms. Sepia Krishnamurthy.
As pointed out by Mr. Jacob, Oleander Berries (Arali Vidhai} also, among other methods, are used for female infanticide. At times, the mother is forced to hire a sweeper for a small sum of 25 rupees (50 cents) to dispose of the child by simply poisoning the baby with the latex of the calotropis plant, or holding her so close to a table that she cannot breath.
Ram is quite right in his observation Mr. Jacob!!!
One method of killing a baby is by stuffing a few grains of coarse paddy into its mouth. The infant breathes the grain into its windpipe and chokes to death. But in some cases paddy doesn’t work. Annammal’s (Paraipatti} is a case in point. She said she had to take recourse to a juicy extract from the madar (calotropis gigantea) plant. In some families the husband grows a madar plant from the time his wife conceives so he can minister the poison if a daughter is born.
Dharmapuri (TN) (PTI): Once haunted by the scourge of female infanticide, Dharmapuri district in Tamil Nadu has made big strides in containing infant killings with the number of such cases coming down every year.
Girl children, considered here as a “drain” on their parents’ resources due to dowry, were either killed by feeding them with “Erukampal” (milk extracted from poisonous weed) or abandoned.
Thanks for the clarity from Dr. Krishnamurthy and Ms. Sepia Krishnamurthy.
How is Erukkam poo commonly known in English?
Can somebody help me out in this, please….
Hi ,
I would like to share my own experience that how i usually get rid of warts in my hand. super medicine is using erukkam poo’ pall ( as i dont know the name for it in english 🙂 ) just put that on warts at least 2 times a day withing one week it will dry and fall its own. your wont even find the scar too. no surgery. salute to erukkam chedi.
Better to enter some medicinal uses briefly..but good.,