Thumba (Leuca Indica) -Flowers of Kerala

March 23rd, 2007 | admin

Thumba (Leuca indica) is a very small herb that grows as four or five branches of five to eight inches right from the base. The very small flowers, to the tune of 6 to 8 mm are milky white in color. Someone in the past has found out a similarity in the shape of the bottom of foot of a new-born baby and the flower. You can see thumba flower that resembles a baby foot if you look at it with a baby in mind.

The flower is native to Kerala and rarely found outside Kerala. Ayurvedic medicines use the whole plant for different medicines. The flower has religious importance too. It is believed that Lord Krishna especially loved this flower.

It also forms part of offering to dead people during a special rite called vavu bali or karkidaka vavu bali, on the new moon day of Malayalam month Karkkidakam. The flowers are also used in posthumous Hindu rituals.

During onam, the national festival of Kerala, this flower is used in the special floral formation called athapoo.

Thumba flower signifies purity and simplicity.