The honey-vayambu mix for children during Navaratri: Doctors explain tradition, benefits

In Kerala, the Navaratri season is best known as the time we honour teachers and education through the ceremony of 'vidyarambham.' It is the occasion on which children are initiated into studies, with elders writing holy words on their tongues with a golden ring, dipped in 'then' (honey) and 'vayambu' (sweet flag). The honey-sweet flag concoction is considered a healthy and holy mix, and it's been used in the state for a long time for the vidyarambham ceremony.

What makes the concoction special? Does it have any health benefits, and how do you have it? Dr Sreelatha Chandroth, faculty at Govt Ayurveda Medical College, Kannur, explains:

Not just an auspicious mix
'Vayambu', scientifically called 'Acorus Calamus', is a brain stimulant, says Dr Sreelatha. "Its combination with honey is considered an auspicious mix for vidyarambham. However, it also has many medicinal properties. Ayurveda terms 'vayambu' a 'nedyam' (herb with rejuvenating and nourishing properties that can promote health).

Similarly, honey can balance and alleviate one of the Ayurvedic doshas called 'Kapha,' which is often associated with children as they can be prone to diseases like cold and flu," she says. Moreover, it's believed that honey has 'Lakshmivasam' (the presence of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of prosperity), alongside its numerous medicinal properties, says the doctor. 

Mixing honey and sweet flag
Dr Dinesh K S of Vaidyaratnam PS Varier Ayurveda College, Kottakkal, explains that in the earlier days, Kerala homes had a special stone especially to grind medicines. He says, "It was called 'urakallu.' One way of preparing the then-vayambu mix was rubbing a stem of 'vayambu' three times on an urakallu and adding a drop of honey to it. Using one finger, this mix was rubbed on children's tongues for vidyarambham. The presence of gold was purely for auspicious reasons." There was also a practice of inserting a thin rod of gold into the 'vayambu' stem and rubbing it on the grinder stone three times. "This ensured that both the 'vayambu' and gold get ground to make the mix," he says.  

A third way, according to him, was mixing 50 milligrams of gold dust with 5 gms of 'vayambu' and 300 milligrams of honey. "This was to be stirred for 6 hours continuously to get the right quality consistency. The mix is available in the name of 'swarnaprasam' in the markets too, but there is no way of understanding whether it was prepared after the six-hour stirring," says the doctor. Interestingly, though this is a medicinal mix for children, elders also commonly have it.