Pachchilai

Tamil Name - பச்சில்லை

The Tamil word Kadukkai is also known Haritaki in Sanskrit, and Terminalia chebula in Latin.

Kadukkai Benefits:

Kadukkai is renowned in South India for its remarkable healing properties. It is recommended for many illnesses including:

Constipation

High blood pressure

Dysentery

Sore eyes

bowel infections

Diabetes

HIV infection

Mercury Poisoning

Cleansing and detoxing

Crohn’s disease

Kadukkai is the fruit from the tree Terminalia chebula that grows throughout South India at a height of 1000, 1500 meters in the hillier regions. The tree grows to over 100 feet tall. The Kadukkai fruit is ripened and harvested in September and October. A major growing region for Kadukkai is in the Coimbatore area of Tamil Nadu.

Kadukkai fruit is oval and green gold in color.

The size is about 1-2 inches long. The fruit can be eaten raw. This raw fruit has many benefits and is often prescribed to be eaten daily.

The kadukkai can also be dried. The dried fruit is sold as is so that some ways of using it can be implemented. This whole dried fruit can be cooked and the resultant juice can be used for:

Eye washes to heal eye issues

Mouth wash

Enema for cleansing

Vaginal douche to relive infections

Kadukkai Powder

Kadukkai can also be made into a powder. This powder can then be consumed as a herbal supplement in powder, pill or capsule form.

The powder can be applied on the skin for a number of skin issues:

Disinfectant of cuts

To heal skin rashes

To heal skin eczema

To clear up mouth sores

To keep mouth skin and gums clear

Detailed Latin description of Kadukkai

Of the Order: Myrtales, Of the Family: Combretaceae, of the Genus Terminalia, and Species chebula, named by Retz

Industrial use of Kadukkai

Kadukkai has a number of industrial uses

It has been used for leather tanning as it is high in the agent Tannin. It has been used to make Indian Ink as it is very dark when treated certain ways.