Myth behind a Plant

Something wierd happened early this week precisely on Tuesday 17th Aug, 2010. A plant, shaped like a human hand sprouted outside our front gate. This is a phenomenon (for me atleast) as it emitted a rotten odour and there were house flies all over it.

It was first seen by our locality's security staff and in no time there were a dozen local workers and house maids flocked around this plant. Most seemed to know what it was. They called it as goddess Uppalamma and I was asked not to remove it. Some said its appearance usually signifies death of the person who owned that house (in this case, its me) and some said it brings enormous wealth (suppose its time for a middle aged guy). Either way, it sounds spooky.

Its hard to tell if it was a plant or a creature as it seemed to come out of a shell. It could well be fungi related like a mushroom. I tried to find a botanical name for this on the net, however the closest I came to was called a Mojo plant with fingers. Mojo plant in the USA appears mostly in the state of Louisiana and is used by gamblers for luck. This plant does not look like a mojo plant in colour, but it does resemble in shape.

Ironically, every one of those who knew this plant said if it is pierced with a sharp object, it would either bleed red blood like a mammal or it would bleed white liquid that resembled milk. The further myth they explained was that if it bled red liquid then it requires a sacrifice of a lamb or a chicken and if it bled white liquid, then the demand would be to cook rice in milk and sugar and offer it with a promise that it would be done every year on that same date. Wow ! So much for so much. But the question is, how does one really make one's own reasonabily rational mind accept this.

On a wonderful Autumn morning when something like this happens, it well throws one out of their sync. The same happened with me. My first reaction was to stick a crowbar under the plant, uproot it and do away with it. Not a single worker around were willing to do that. Further deepening the fear of the myth, neither would they allow me to do it (I assume its out of love for me and not the fear of the myth). It was a stalemate with the stench getting staler.

As the day progressed the word spread in the locality and about 100 more people visited the NOW holy site. I was really afraid. Not because of the myth behind the plant but something more real. The fear was that the locals would insist on having a temple built on that site right on the gate of my house. There is no escaping if something is not done immediately.

One good soul advised a brilliant solution to get out of this. He suggested that if it is covered with cow dung and sand it would die and melt away, and that will also contain the stench immediately. That was it. Its about 4 days now and that heap is still there. I will have it checked soon. If the myth remains as a myth you will hear from me again, else consider that the myth is real. If I get filthy rich, trust me I will tell you all.

I also happened to visit our family's farm 60 kms from Hyderabad and spoke to the local villagers about this plant. They said the same as what was told by those workers outside my house. However, the villagers did clarify that it usually appears during the rainy season in the fields, soon after the freshly ploughed soil starts exposing the sprouting from seeds after the first rains.

Although this is a clear myth, I must admit one fact that most people who knew about this were workers, house maids, villagers and semi-literates. Not a single person from the cities knew what it was. Every time I go to our farm I learn new things about agriculture, nature, seasonal impacts, natural occurences etc., It goes to show that we in cities only know what we are told and not much from the real world that exists outside the modernity.

If anyone knows more about this, please do write back. Will be good to know.


Best Wishes
Sharath