Vadodara : Visually impaired people can now easily experience the blessings of nature: GujaratThe first garden specially designed for him on the MS University campus.
The variety of plants here is such that they can touch, smell and taste them.
The university has created this special feature by modifying its century-old botanical garden – making it the first sensory garden of its kind in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
For this, Braille script has been put on standees near 22 plant species of each species. Dr Padmanabhi Nagar, associate professor and garden superintendent in the Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, MSU, said, “We have placed mats near these standees which act as a barrier to guide the way for the visually impaired visiting this park. Huh.”
‘Plants have aroma and are edible too’
Once they stand on these mats, they have to hold their right hand to read the common name, scientific name of each plant described in Braille and the description of the uses of such plants. The script is described in Gujarati and in English. After reading it, they simply bend over to get the feel and texture of the plant, enjoy its flavor and rub it to smell its aroma,” said associate professor and garden superintendent in MSU’s Faculty of Science’s Department of Botany. Dr Padmanabhi Nagar said.
There are varieties from the common ‘Tulsi’ to ‘Ajmo’ to Artemisia, known for their anti-malarial properties in Ayurveda. “All these plants have aroma and are edible. They can taste the pungent leaves of Nagara, the bitter leaves of Kariyatu are widely used in Ayurvedic formulations to treat Covid-19 and Chanothi leaves the garden with the sweet taste of the leaves,” he said.
Interestingly, the garden also has a plant called ‘Rasna’ which can be used to make a drink and it acts as a good liver tonic.
Around 24 blind students of Lions Blind Girls School got their first exposure to the park after it was inaugurated by MSU Chancellor Shubhangini Raje Gaikwad on Monday.
The variety of plants here is such that they can touch, smell and taste them.
The university has created this special feature by modifying its century-old botanical garden – making it the first sensory garden of its kind in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
For this, Braille script has been put on standees near 22 plant species of each species. Dr Padmanabhi Nagar, associate professor and garden superintendent in the Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, MSU, said, “We have placed mats near these standees which act as a barrier to guide the way for the visually impaired visiting this park. Huh.”
‘Plants have aroma and are edible too’
Once they stand on these mats, they have to hold their right hand to read the common name, scientific name of each plant described in Braille and the description of the uses of such plants. The script is described in Gujarati and in English. After reading it, they simply bend over to get the feel and texture of the plant, enjoy its flavor and rub it to smell its aroma,” said associate professor and garden superintendent in MSU’s Faculty of Science’s Department of Botany. Dr Padmanabhi Nagar said.
There are varieties from the common ‘Tulsi’ to ‘Ajmo’ to Artemisia, known for their anti-malarial properties in Ayurveda. “All these plants have aroma and are edible. They can taste the pungent leaves of Nagara, the bitter leaves of Kariyatu are widely used in Ayurvedic formulations to treat Covid-19 and Chanothi leaves the garden with the sweet taste of the leaves,” he said.
Interestingly, the garden also has a plant called ‘Rasna’ which can be used to make a drink and it acts as a good liver tonic.
Around 24 blind students of Lions Blind Girls School got their first exposure to the park after it was inaugurated by MSU Chancellor Shubhangini Raje Gaikwad on Monday.
,