Kachnar tree has long stemmed flowers of white or pale pink color. It is a fruit bearing ornamental plant planted in gardens, parks and roadsides in many warm temperate and subtropical regions. In Hindi, it is called Kanchan or Kachnal.

Kachnar or Kanchan is a medicinal tree found in many warm temperate and subtropical regions. The barks of this ornamental plant can be used to treat wounds, burns and ulcers.

Other Names:

  • Hindi – Kachnar
  • English – Mountain ebony
  • Sanskrit – Gandari
  • Oriya – Boroda), Kanjoni
  • Urdu – Kachnal
  • Kannada – Kempumandara, Devkanyanamu
  • Gujarati – Champakati, Kanchnar
  • Tamil – Segappumundarai
  • Telugu – Devakanchanamu
  • Bengali – Raktakanchan, Kanchan
  • Nepali – Koiralo, Taki
  • Marathi – Rakta-kanchan, Koral, Kanchan
  • Malayalam – Chuvannamandaram

 Kachnaar, or Rakta Kanchan, is an Indian medicinal plant. The barks of this plant are used in several Ayurvedic medicines for treatment of diseases like migraine and insomnia.

 Consuming the bark and leaves of kachnar trees can help cure an infected mouth. Kachnar Bark can be used for curing mouth ulcers. This medicine has been proven to be very effective in curing mouth ulcers.

Other Names: Kanchan, Rakta Kanchana, Orchid Tree, Mountain Ebony, St. Thomas’ Tree, Variegated Orchid Tree, Buntfarbene Bauhinie, Champakati, Kanchnar, Kachnar, Kanchnar, Kachnar, Kachnal, Keyumandar, Kanchavala, Bauhinia variegata Blume, Kanchana, Raktakancana, Koral, Kanchanara, Kovidara, Post Kachnal, Kanchhanar, Ebony

What is kachnar?
A beautiful flower, "kachnar" is scientifically known as Bauhinia variegata. It's also called Mountain Ebony, Butterfly Ash and Camel's Foot in English. In the regional Indian languages of Hindi and Bengali, it is called "Basavanpada," "Koral," "Mantharai," "Devakanchanamu" or "Kovidara."

The Bauhinia variegata is a deciduous tree, native to the Southeast Asian countries of India, Sri Lanka and China among others. It grows up to a height of 10 to 12 meters with thick barks and lengthy stems. These branches hold leaves that stretch up to 10 to 20 centimetres in size, being rather broad with two rounded lobes each at the base and tip.

The flowers start off as packed buds but bloom into striking shades of vivid pink and dazzling white with five petals each.

These flowers, upon developing, bud into fruits that are basically seedpods, housing numerous seeds. All parts of the kachnar tree, namely the roots, bark, stems, leaves, flowers and seeds are packed with beneficial nutrients and medicinal compounds that confer astounding merits for overall wellbeing.

Uses and benefits:

  1. Kachnar decoctions and powders are perfect for treating hypothyroidism. Since an imbalance in the three doshas of vata, pitta, kapha, overweight, obesity conditions and hampered digestion processes prompt thyroid problems, taking kachnar formulations assists in treating hypothyroidism. Kachnar formulations also ease the assimilation of foodstuffs in the body, as well as regulate the three doshas, improve metabolism and promote weight loss.
  2. Kachnar possesses profuse anti-diabetic and antihyperglycemic plant compounds that control insulin mechanism in the body, as well as bring down rising blood glucose levels. In this manner, kachnar assists in mitigating diabetes symptoms and keeping blood sugar levels in check.
  3.  The cooling properties of kachnar make it effective in treating haemorrhoids, which are caused by inflammation of the veins in the rectum. The compound agni-activating matter in kachnar stimulates digestive juices, helping to relieve indigestion and constipation.
    1. Kachnar is also effective in regulating menstrual cycles, which can be erratic or absent due to an overheated body. Kachnar is imbued with sheeta or cooling traits that help balance pitta dosha, thereby assuring timely, normal menstrual cycles.