Kencur

Scientific name of Kencur: Kaempferia Galanga

Name of Kencur in different languages:

English: Kencur, Aromatic Ginger, Sand Ginger, Cutcherry, or Resurrection Lily.

Sanskrit: Shigru, Shigrugandha, Tikshnagandha, Danshamula, Shigruka, Laghupatra, Mulakparni, Akshiva, Bahala, Mochak, Haritshak, Komalpatrak, Bahumula.

Hindi: चँद्रमूला Chandramula, Sidhoul.

Malayalam: Kacholam, Kachoori (കച്ചോലം, കച്ചൂരി, കച്ചൂരിക്കിഴങ്ങ്).

Plant description:

Aromatic ginger or Sand ginger is a deciduous herb commonly found in tropical, wet areas, leaves are thick and rounded and lay flat on the ground. Flowering starts after the maturity of the plant almost in the rainy season (June). After disappearing the leaves rhizomes remain underground through winter. Rhizomes are very aromatic, and used in many Ayurvedic medicines.

Leaf Arrangement

Shape-Oblong	Margin-Entire	Venation-parallel

Useful plant parts:

Rhizome, oil

Medicinal uses:

Indigestion, fever, and stomach pain control Kapha.

Chemical contents:

Camphene, Kaempferol, Kaempferide, Cineol, Borneol, 3-Carene, Cinnamaldehyde, Ethyl Cinnamate, P-Methoxycinnamic Acid, and Ethyl P-Methoxycinnamate.

How to prepare medicines:

Dried rhizome powder of sand ginger mixed with honey is and have twice a day better for treating cough.

Kencur is one of the ingredients in Ayurveda medicines like-

• Asaneladi Velichenna
• Agasthyarasayanam 
• EladiVelichenna
• GandhaThailam
• TriphaladiThailam 
• Rasanairandathi kashayam
• Maharasnadi kashayam