ALL the elderly and young love to apply Thanaka on their cheeks. No woman does not like Thanaka. Even with the arrival of modern beauty products, Thanaka remains the reigning cosmetic of choice among women and children.
Thanaka can cool the skin, and provide protection from the sun, and its fragrance makes people fresh. The courtiers and female farmers wear Thanaka. Most Myanmar girls apply Thanaka after bathing, or they wear it whenever they go to pagodas or religious occasions.
Thanaka can protect the human body from heat-related problems. Those working under direct sunlight can use Thanaka as sun protection. The fragrance of Thanaka can also cure headache, dull pain, neck pain and nasal congestion. If the women suffer from menses, they can apply Thanaka with the turmeric. If they have high body temperature, they can take liq-uid Thanaka with the nectar of Mesua Ferrea. Suppose the men suffer from headache, dull pain, toothache and blurred vision due to urinary disease. In that case, they can take liquid Thanaka by grinding the root of Thanaka.
Although Myanmar girls grind Thanaka in longitudinal, the courtiers grind in a vertical way to get the smoother Thanaka paste. Moreover, the girls dry Thanaka to make powder. There is a tradition in the middle part of Myanmar in order to offer Thanaka to the Buddha at the bonfire. Such culture emerged from the Bagan era.
Thanaka is hard and in yel-low colour. The dried Thanaka weighs 61 pounds per cubic foot. Therefore, the Thanaka is used as a driving lever in grinding oil or paddy, carving, and measuring tools.
The Thanaka is called Li-monia acidissima in the botanical term, including in Rutaceae Family and is in the same group with Aegle marmelos, orange, lemon, lime and clausena. Thanaka trees can grow together with Terminalia oliveri, Tectona Hamiltonian, Acacia leucophloea, Eastern gooseberry, Acacia catechu, Diospyros burmanica and so on. The stem of the tree is about 3ft.
Although Thanaka trees can be seen across the nation, they are primarily grown in the country’s central dry zone. The plants are grown in Ayadaw township with more than 100,000 acres. The township boasts 75 per cent of the Thanaka plantation of the country. The Thanaka plantation is also expanded in Pakokku, Yesagyo, Shwebo, Budalin, Yinmabin, Monywa, Myinmu and Pauk townships.
Therefore, the people should work together to ensure that Myanmar’s Thanaka, which has been preserved as a traditional culture since the time of the ancient Myanmar Kings, exists as a gift and a symbol of Myanmar and remains a part of Myanmar’s cultural heritage.
Zeyar Htet (Min-bu)
GNLM
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