A Bee Amongst Kurinji

Bee-ing and Seeing

The Nilgiris – various colours come to mind with the name. Green of the lush treetops, blue of the sky and the water bodies, red of the blooming trees and the setting sun. But the Nilgiris are said to owe their name to a single colour – the profusely spreading purple-blue of the flowering shrub, Strobilanthus Kunthianus, called Neelakurinji in the local tongue, which blooms in the shola grasslands.

In the genus Strobilanthus, in the family Acanthacea, there are 40 odd Strobilanthus which are known as Kurinji in the local language. Most of the Strobilanthus species grow at altitudes greater than 1500 m above sea level, and have a flowering cycle of 8 to 12 years. The species Strobilanthus Kunthianus, endemic to the Western Ghats, has over the years become legendary due to its unique pattern of massive flowering once in twelve years.

On its own, Neelakurinji is a modest flower, nothing which litterateurs would be eloquent about. But then, this modest flower has provoked numerous odes along the long path of history. Why?! The splendour of the delicate Kurinji lies in its gregarious flowering, the bluish purple bloom spreading out as far as the eye can see - is a truly euphoric experience and a rare treat.

The flower possesses sweet nectar for the delight of flies, birds, animals and people alike. How each of them takes their share of the honey is another matter. The bees that produce the famous Kurinji honey are the most privileged ones. They can tumble in and out of the flowers as they wish, moving from flower to flower. Men have to wait for the bees to make honey for them. Either naturally on rocks and trees or in bee boxes put up in the anticipation of honey making bees. Ironically, though the Kurinji-filled slopes had swarms of bees on the flowers, none visited the bee boxes put up by profit minded groups.

For the Muthuvas of Munnar and the Todas of the Nilgiris, indigenous communities whose lives are intertwined with Kurinji lore, the flowering of Kurinji is auspicious and there are taboos that prevent them from destroying the plant or its withered twigs until the seeds mature ten months after the flowering.

The wondrous Kurinji with its inbuilt mechanism of keeping time has always evoked a sense of curiosity and enthusiasm among nature lovers. However, deep concern is another emotion that should be aroused in nature lovers because human intervention is robbing the flower of its natural habitat at a rapidly accelerating rate, through encroachment and the introduction of non-native species in the high elevation grasslands. Plantations of tea, cardamom and timber have devastated the range of pristine forests home to this rare bush. Vast stretches of virgin rain forests have been drowned by some hydro-electric projects.

Now the Kurinji survives in the few valleys and gorges that remain undisturbed. Another threat witnessed this season was the indiscriminate collection and destruction of bushes, stocks and flowers of Neelakurinji by some unaware and unruly visitors who were proud to claim that the Kurinji flowers would not wither in flower vases for two months at least. In addition to habitant destruction, such impudent activities may prove to be serious threats to the long term survival of this important member of the biodiversity of these mountains.

An immediate effort is needed to save what little pristine grassland remains, not only for the sake of the Kurinji but also for the animals that depend on the habitat, such as the bison and the endemic Nilgiri Tahr which will disappear into the mist. Conservation of the sholas is not only for the protection of the biodiversity of this region but for the water security of the plains as well. Many rivers in Kerala and Tamiln Nadu originate from the shola grasslands. We are dealing with more than just pretty scenery. The Kurinji has become a symbol for the biodiversity of the Western Ghats, an indicator of the health of the zone, its flagship species.

P.S: The boxes barely yielded half a kilogram of honey at the end of the season while the natural yield of Kurinji honey in the vicinity was tremendous!