ABSTRACT
Turmeric is known as the “golden spice” as well as the “spice of life.” It has been used in India as a medicinal plant, and held sacred from time immemorial. Turmeric has strong associations with the sociocultural life of the people of the Indian subcontinent. This “earthy herb of the Sun” with the orange-yellow rhizome was regarded as the “herb of the Sun” by the people of the Vedic period. No wonder the ancients regarded turmeric as the
Oushadhi
, the healing herb, the most outstanding herb, the one herb above all others (Jager, 1997
)
. Turmeric has at least 6000 yr of documented history of its use as medicine and in many socioreligious practices.
