Special Cover on Navara Rice of Kerala

Special Cover on  Navara Rice of Kerala

The ‘Navara Rice’€ is an indigenous medicinal Rice variety of Kerala.There are two varieties of Navara-the black colour glumed and golden yellow color glumed. But the rice is purple in color in both cases. Navara is used effectively in certain ayurvedic treatments in Kerala like in Panchakarma treatment from very olden times. It is also used as a health food especially in rainy seasons. The rice is known as ‘€œShashtika Rice’€ for its unique and peculiar characteristic requirement of only sixty days to grow and mature. Navara Rice is valued for its curative properties in circulatory, digestive and rheumatic complaints.

Specification : Two varieties are there, one black colour glumed and the other golden yellow color glumed. But the processed rice is purple in color in both the cases. Navara is grown in nine districts of Kerala-Palakkad, Malappuram, Calicut, Wayanad, Kannur, Trichur, Ernakulam, Kottayam and Alleppey.

Referance of Navara as ‘€œSashtika rice’ are found in ancient ayurvedic scriptures like ‘Susrutha Samhitha’, date back approximately to 400-200 B.C. and in ‘€˜Ashtanga Hrudaya’€™ date back approximately to 600 A.D. Copies of extract from these are furnished. ‘€œNavara kizhi’€ and ‘Navaratheppu’€ are two main components of Ayurvedic treatment in Kerala. The ‘€œNavara’ in the above mentioned two methods itself denote the importance of Navara. Navara is one of the native genetic resources or Kerala. Its cultivation and use is confined to Kerala and is considered as an endemic crop. Navara is often referred as a ‘€œpious grain’€ used on auspicious occasions.

Nevera rice has been granted Geographical Indication Registry Code ( Gl Code). Department of Posts, as a part of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Project, is proud to release a Special Cover on Gl Coded Navara rice, to honour its farmers.