Haridra Khand - Benefits, Usage, Indications and Dosage

Reference: Bhaishajya Ratnavali

Introduction

Haridra Khand is a very well-known and extremely effective medicine for allergy available in the form of granules. It is also known as Haridra Khandam. The prime ingredient used in it is turmeric.

Ingredients

• Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
• Cow ghee (Clarified butter)
• Milk
• Rock candy
• This mixture is heated to prepare a semi solid mass. It is added with below Prakshepa dravya
• Trikatu [Black pepper, Long pepper and Ginger]
• Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), Patra (Cinnamomum tamala) - 48 g each
• Vidanga (Embelia ribes)
• Trivrit (Operculina turpethum)
• Triphala (Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Vibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica) and Amla (Phyllanthus emblica))
• Nagakeshar (Mesua ferrea)
• Musta (Cyperus rotundus)
• Lauha bhasma

Method of Preparation

Take clarified butter in a pan and add turmeric powder to it. Heat it on mild flame for 2-3 minutes. Stir continuously to make a homogenous mass. While heating, once turmeric odor starts emitting, stop heating. It may get burnt due to overheating. Take pre-boiled milk and rock candy in another wide mouthed vessel. To it, add ghee fried, continue heating on mild flame and stir well. As you continue heating, the mass starts solidifying. At one stage, take out a small mass in a spatula, allow it to cool down, rub between fingers, it will yield 2 – 3 stable threads. Take a small piece of content on a spatula and put it into water, it solidifies very quickly and settles at the bottom. In the beginning stage of heating there will be no particular appreciable odor. Nearing to the end, you can appreciate typical clarified butter and turmeric odor. After observing these three symptoms, stop heating and take it out of fire. Take the prakshepa dravyas in powder form and mix them well. Add this powder mix to the ghee-turmeric-milk and sugar candy mass while continuously stirring. Slowly the whole mass gets the shape of granules.

Indications

• Skin disorders which include itching
• Pruritis
• Blisters
• Fungal skin infections
• Allergic skin conditions
• Hives

Dosage

1 to 2 teaspoonful with lukewarm milk or honey once or twice a day before or after meals or as prescribed by Ayurvedic doctor.

Contraindications

• There are no reported side effects.
• Self-medication should be avoided.