Padma Shri Lakshmikutty:Granny of the wild

In the deep jungles of Ponmudi, almost 55 kilometre north east of Thiruvananthapuram city, at an altitude of 1,100 metres on Western Ghats mountain ranges, lives the wonder woman – granny of the wild – whose traditional knowledge and expertise in herbal medicines attract thousands of students, patients and research scholars every year for the past six decades.

And on the Republic Day, when one of the highest civilian honours – Padma Shri – came in search of her, Lakshmikutty has turned 75-years-old. Over the decades, Lakshmikutty has saved hundreds of lives with her astute knowledge of herbal medicines that she got bequeathed from her forefathers though her mother who was a midwife. Living alone in an isolated area in the deep forest, Lakshmikutty can prepare over five hundred herbal medicines just out of her memory. Her medicines saved thousands of victims of snake and insect bites, thus making her the most loved tribal woman in the area.

She also gives lectures at Folklore Academy and has authored many articles and poems. Interestingly, the guide of hundreds of researchers of herbal medicines and related topics, is a tribal woman, an eighth-class dropout.

A four kilometre journey from Ponmudi road takes you to Lakshmikutty’s jungle. She never grows any medicinal plants for making remedies for snake and insect bites. She collects all herbal ingredients from the forest. Black scorpion, tiger spider, snakes, rabid dog – the sting of any of these venomous creatures can turn fatal, but once the victim is brought to Lakshmikutty, the lives is saved for sure.

Her expertise in rural and tribal medicine and her successful treatment of hundreds of people brought her recognition in 1995 with the Kerala State government bestowing on her the ‘Nattuvaidya Award.

She has toured all south Indian states to take part in seminars and deliver lectures on herbal medicines. Several prominent establishments including Tropical Botanical Garden, Kerala University, State Biodiversity Board, International Biology Centre and many others have already honoured this granny for her exemplary knowledge of herbal medicine.

Belonging to Kaani tribe, she also writes features, articles and knows Sanskrit too. Speaking to a national news agency after receiving Padma Shri, Lakshmikutty said, “I feel happy that my country accepted me. I haven’t felt happier. The District Collector called and informed me that I was selected for Padma Shri. I am in this field for last 50 years and the Kerala government recognized my work and awarded me as well. A few of the people had claimed that I would win the Padma Shri award.”

“Nature offers all remedies. Knowledge of traditional medicine was passed on to me from my mother who was a mid-wife. People come to me for treatment for snake poison. I treat all kinds of snake poison, and many other diseases,” she added. Ironically, even today, there is no proper road facility to her house, though a road was sanctioned by the government way back in 1952.

“People are not able to bring patients in time, providing medicine at the earliest is important in poison treatment. My son lost his life as we could not take him to hospital on time as there was no road,” she said. Known as the granny of the wild, Lakshmikutty’s unadulterated smile says it all. Here is the guardian angel of herbal medicine.