From
Grenada - the Grenadier
This
month, we select the 'Pomegranate', known for its
blood-red flowers, but equally well known and loved
by the children for the juicy fruits.
Spiritual Significances
The mother has named three varieties: (1) The
fruiting varieties – 'Divine Love' (2) The white
flowered double – 'Unmanifest Divine love' (3)
The floro-pleno single red – 'Divine Sacrifice'
(4) Besides she has named the fruit too – 'Divine
Love spreading over the world'
A
Chaldean Legend
We do
not really know how plants have come into being, for
much of a plant's past is covered by legend and myth
and survives to this day with certain traditional
uses and cures. The Pomegranate is one such ancient
shrub so called since the fruit resembles the "Pomme"
or Apple, and the seeds are numerous "grains",
then is a legend recounted by the Mother:
Long
long ago, in the desert land now called Arabia, a
divine being came down to awaken the earth to the
supreme love. As it usually happens he was not
understood; therefore he was suspected and pursued.
Mortally wounded by his aggressors, he wished to die
alone and quietly in order to accomplish his work.
Being followed, he started to run. Suddenly on the
wide and bare plain he saw a small pomegranate bush.
The Saviour crept under its low branches to leave his
body peacefully. Lo! The bush started growing as by a
miracle, it grew and grew becoming thick and dense so
that when the people chasing him passed by they did
not think that the One they were looking for was
hidden there and they went on their way.
As
drop by drop the sacred blood fell, softening the
earth, the bush became covered with marvelous flowers;
they were scarlet, enormous and clustered with petals
- innumerable drops of blood....
It is
these flowers which for us express and contain the
Divine Love.
Introduction
The
fruit is indeed the most unique structure in the
vegetal kingdom: there is no symmetry, but a series
of chambers placed side by side and one on top of the
other; each chamber contains tightly packed 40 to 60
seeds, with its white, pink or ruby-red "aril"
or juicy cover. The wood has a very fine grain and
takes a good polish. When I saw a medium thick branch
wittled I was surprised to see how white and smooth
it was. The flowers may appear from any part of this
hardy shrub except perhaps directly from the trunk or
the very end of the branches. This makes pruning a
little tricky since you never know where a potential
flower is preparing to appear. However these hardy
shrubs can be easily and even drastically pruned and
since the fruits tend to be more abundant on the
other branches it is the central part that is kept
low.
Some
old Beliefs
It was
believed that in each fruit one seed is direct from
Paradise: well, I believe it more correct to say each
seed has come from heaven. The prophet Mohammed even
said that if one ate this fruit regularly it would
drive away envy and hatred from the nature. The shrub
was known and respected in olden times: -The Bible
mentions its use in King Solomon's temple (King I-7:
18-20) -The silver shekels in Jerusalem in currency
between 143-135 BC had an engraving of the
pomegranate. And on the Ark of the Tabernade it is
one of the ornaments - It was considered in those
times to be a protection against evil spirits: in
fact switches of these flexible branches were used to
whip out the devil!
Uses
Perhaps
the first "sherbat" was Pomegranate juice
mixed with snow!
The
red aril produces "Grenadine" - a syrup
made from the juice.
"Anardana"
is a dried product made from the fruit, used in India
The rind of the fruit is used for tanning leather. In
Moroco and Tunisia a tannin from the rind produces
the beautiful "Kahi" colour called "Moroccan"
Fermented
Pomegranate juice is used to make a special vinegar
in Italy The flowers - fresh or dried - are used in
infusions since they are astringent.
The
epidermis of the root (and other parts too) are
powerful vermifuges.
Varieties
Scientifically
the Pomegranate belongs to a family (Punicaceae) and
is the only genus (Punica). There are only two
species and several varieties
1. There is a little obscure island off the coast of
the Republic of Somalia in the Arabian Ocean -
Socrota - Where the wild Pomegranate grows. It is
called: Punica Protopunica
2. Naturally growing wild in the Balkans, in the
Eastern Mediterranean in the Middle-East; and in
North-West India, - Punica granaturn is the second
species. There are some of the varieties of P.granatum
according to their distinct flower - colours:
Punica
granatum
....Var
Albescens....Albopleno; white, double; ; flowers
whitish double; ....striped salmon red and white,
Floropleno; red, double; ....Legrellii;
doublecommerce the fruiting ; ....Nana; dwarf plant,
fruiting; In varieties both in the East (Mediterranean
(India) and the West countries"Cherabani":
) are well-defined: Different fruiting varieties:
juice acid(grenadine wine) , used to make the wine of
Pomegranate Donce de patraColorada: large red : aril
sweet; excellent quality Dulce fruits with aril blood
red GaginGrenadine syrup : used to make the Grenada
Blancared; flesh greatly : pink aril Selimi: very
large fruits; aril appreciated Wonderfulexcellent
quality : large fruits red aril; flesh
Pomegranate
varieties grown in India
Alandi
or Vodki: Medium -sized fruitsslightly acid; seeds
hard. ; aril blood red or deep pink; sweet Bedaraor
whitish; aril reddish - : Medium to large fruit; rind
brownish pink to whiteDholka: Large fruit; rind ;
sweet juice; seeds soft . greenishsweet; seeds soft.
Kabul: -white aril pink-white or white; juice Large
fruityellow; aril dark red; slightly ; rind deep red
mixed with pale bitter juicedeep red; aril deep red,
juice . Kandahari: Large fruit; rind sweet slightly
acidRed: Small to medium mixed ; seeds hard. Musket
fruits rind somewhat thickred, moderately sweet juice;
; aril blood seeds not very hard Poonarind crimson,
dark grey or : Large fruits; greyish greenspotted;
aril deep scarlet or pink , sometimes variously or
red.
