सुंदर कडई , लेखक : श्री.मारुती चितमपल्ली (Ghost Tree, Sterculia urens)

Shri.Maruti B. Chitampalli (Devanagari: श्री. मारुती चितमपल्ली; born 5 November 1932) is a naturalist, wildlife conservationist and Marathi writer from Maharashtra, India. The birthdate of Maruti B. Chitampalli is given by him in his autobiography 'Chakvachandan' as 12 November 1932. He grew up in Solapur and then went to enroll himself in State Forest Service College in Coimbatore. After completing his training, he joined the services with Maharashtra State government. During his professional life, he moved at various forests and national parks, having live experiences with various entities. This laid the foundation of his interest in writing his literary works, mostly in Marathi. He retired from Maharashtra state government service as the Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests. He was instrumental in the development of Karnala Bird Sanctuary, Navegaon National Park, Nagzira Sanctuary and Melghat Tiger Project; also constructing orphanages for displaced wildlife at the last two institutions. Sundar Kadai “सुंदर कडई” is a beautiful article written by Chitampalli sir in book “Raatwa”. These are observational notes about a tree Sterculia urens. It is a species of plant in the family Malvaceae. It is native to India and has been introduced into Burma. A small to medium-sized tree with a pale-coloured trunk, it is commonly known as the bhutyā (भुत्या) in Marathi (meaning "ghost tree"), kulu, Indian tragacanth, gum karaya, katira, sterculia gum or kateera gum. The specific name urens refers to the stinging hairs present on the flowers. The gum karaya is a medium-sized deciduous tree with horizontally-spreading branches, growing to a maximum height of about 15 m (49 ft). The bark is smooth, fibrous and thick, greenish-grey, with the surface layer peeling off in large flakes. The twigs are hairy at first. The leaves are alternate, simple, hairy beneath and have three to five palmate lobes. They are clustered at the tips of the twigs. Sterculia urens, or karaya gum, is used in various industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, for its properties as a thickener, emulsifier, and stabilizer. It's also used as a bulk-forming laxative due to its mucilaginous nature. Beyond commercial uses, traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda and Unani utilize its gum and other parts for treating gastrointestinal issues, wounds, inflammation, and even for its purported antimicrobial and anti-diabetic properties. The following are some of Chitampalli Sir’s works: Ratawa (रातवा) Ranvata (रानवाटा) Nilawanti (निळावंती) Pranikosh (प्राणीकोश) Pakshikosh (पक्षीकोश) Suwarna Garud (सुवर्ण गरुड) Nisargawachan ( निसर्गवाचन) Shabdanche Dhan (शब्दांचे धन) Jangalache Dene (जंगलाचं देणं) Mrugpakshishastra (मृगपक्षीशास्त्र) Kesharacha Paus (केशराचा पाऊस) Gharatya Palikade (घरट्या पलिकडे) Anandadayi Bagale (आनंददायी बगळे) Pakshi Jaya Digantara (पक्षी जाय दिगंतरा) Chitragriwa: Eka Kabutarachi Katha (चित्रग्रीव : एका कबुतराची कथा) Navegavbandhache diwas: (नवेगाव बांधचे दिवस) Chaitrapalawi: 2004, Chakva Chandan : Ek Vanopanishad (चकवा चांदण : एक वनोपनिषद) (Autobiography) An Introduction to Mrugpakshishastra of Hansadev (in English) My Sincere thanks to, BGM Flute : Mr. Ainuddin Warsi Sir Photography : Saurabh J. Books Available at : 1. https://shabdnirantar.myshopify.com › products › केशराचा-पाऊस-लेखक-श्री-मारुती-चितमपल्ली 2. shabdnirantar.myshopify.com › products