The Purple Elixir – Maddh Thopp
The Purple Elixir – Maddh Thopp
According to the Hindu calendar, Kakkada is the period from mid-July to mid-August. On the 18th day of this month in Coorg, the colour purple takes on a whole different hue. Falling approximately on the 2nd or 3rd of August each year, this is the day when the locals pick the leaves of a plant called Maddh Thopp (Justicea Wynaadensis), soak them overnight and then boil the leaves and stem with water to extract the juice. The plant is found extensively in some regions of the Western Ghats, from Wynaad, to Coorg, South Canara and the eastern Nilgiris. The leaves