Kerala Systems Architect Turns 4-Acre Farm Into Sanctuary for Rare Medicinal Herbs

Chottanikkara: By day, Ezekiel works as a systems architect. For the past 15 years, his hobby has been collecting herbs.

Today, the 40-year-old calls himself a “collector of herbs”. His 4-acre farm in Chottanikkara holds both common and rare medicinal plants.

The collection includes chakkarakolli, or gurmar, used to reduce sweet cravings. It also has anali vegam, known as the poison devil tree, which serves as an antidote for viper bites. Other species on the farm are shimshapa or Indian rosewood, parijatham or night jasmine, lakshmi taru or paradise tree, and the betadine plant.

Ezekiel began during work trips. He collected and bought saplings from fellow hobbyists across states. He started by planting nutmeg. Seeing the yield encouraged him to add more varieties. Over time, the hobby grew into a mission to conserve rare plants for their medicinal properties.

Family history shaped the shift. “Dad was into herbs. He had grown the usual herbs. That became an inspiration. Family-wise, for three generations, we have been in agriculture. Our livelihood was through agriculture,” Ezekiel says.

Three generations of farming gave him the base. The architect’s training gave him a systems mindset. Together, they help him track, grow, and preserve species that are hard to find.