Laxmikutty - A Poison Healer.

Decades ago we've seen rishi-munis practise medicine using herbal trees and plants. It was believed that these medicines healed fast and had no side effects. 21st century also has one such wonder woman. Laxmikutty Amma, the 75-year-old wonder woman who lives in the kallar forest in Kerala and is known as the poison healer. Amma leads a single life after the death of her husband and two sons, with the third son currently working in the Railways.  Amma has the knowledge of various fields including poetry, drama and is a teacher in folklore academy. Amma who is 75 has a good memory and remembers the name of more than 500 medicinal plants. Belonging to the Kanni Tribe, Amma says she acquired the knowledge from her mother who was a traditional nurse. She followed her mother's path and keenly learnt about nature and its benefits to the mankind.  Amma lost one of her sons to snake bite and that's when she acquired all the knowledge to treat snake poison. Living a life in the village comes with a lot of difficulties as the tribal people don't get proper medical facilities on time. Keeping this in mind, Amma makes sure she helps the villagers during the emergency of various kinds.  For this charitable work towards the society and keeping the legacy of herbal medicines alive even when technology and modern medicine has taken over, Amma was given the highest recognition. She was awarded the fourth highest civilian honour of Padma Shree.