Van Mahotsav: Butail plants winter cherry in Palampur

Palampur, August 12

Local MLA and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Ashish Butail on the occasion of Van Mahotsav planted an ashwagandha sapling on the premises of Neelkanth Mahadev in Sungal village.

Speaking on the occasion, he asked residents to plant ashwagandha as it has medicinal properties. He said for hundreds of years people have used the roots and orange-red fruit of the tree for medicinal purposes. The herb is also known as Indian ginseng or winter cherry. The name ashwagandha describes the smell of its root, meaning “like a horse”.

He said ashwagandha contains chemicals that help to calm the brain, reduce swelling, lower blood pressure and alter the immune system. As the tree is traditionally used as an adaptogen, it is used for many conditions related to stress, he added. — OC