Significance of Thoranam / Bandhanvaar

Hindus festoon the upper frame of their  main door with mango leaves and marigold flowers on festivals and auspicious occasions.
The twigs of the green mango leaves and the orange flowers serves as a decorative and also has a lot of  medicinal value.
The threshold * below is smeared with a lot of turmeric paste and dots of vermilion kumkum  on it makes it a very pretty site.
During functions or poojas and rituals the main door is flanked by banana saplings or trees.This completes the picture of a religious ceremony.
The significance of the thoranams being:
     The saplings and the green mango leaves give a lot of oxygen which is needed in the surrounding area .
The leaves and turmeric have germicidal (anti-germ) properties.
The mango leaves  and the marigold flowers also give a lot of positive vibrations which helps the people who gather in that place.
Marigold flowers repels mosquitoes and some insects.


* Chaukat in Hindi and Gadapa in Telugu.

Medicinal effects of Marigold

picture source:wikipedia ,Public domain

Marigold :Latin name:Tagetes erecta has many medicinal uses.It should not be confused with Dandelion or Calendula which may be similar but have different medical properties.

It is also called  Genda phool in hindi, Banti puvvu in Telugu and Zandu in a few Indian languages.

•  It is used as a natural food coloring.The extracts of the flowers are used as a food additive  for coloring agent in  industries.

•  It's flowers are used in face packs.The flowers are made into a paste with honey and applied on the face for a glowing complexion.

•  It is used for repelling insects and pests in fields.Insects and even some kind of mosquitoes do not attempt to live around this plant.So they are planted in between crops in fields.

• It is also a natural rain indicator.They bloom usually in the mornings but if they are closed shut  or become compact it indicates stormy weather ahead.