Karna flower: a hidden treasure

BHAKKAR: Grown abundantly in the district, the karna flower is a hidden treasure. Blooming only in spring, it is recognised as one of the district’s renowned plants.

With the advent of spring, the wildflower can be spotted in the district’s suburbs as well as some areas of the Thal desert. The flowers last for around one to two months, urging locals to make the most of them.

The flower is used in a multitude of ways, but the most common is to make oil. Its essence is extracted and added to mustard oil while cloves, cardamom, jasmine and other spices are also added to the mixture. The resulting product is called ‘karna oil’ and is thought to be a quality product for treating a wide array of hair related issues such as dandruff and unnecessary shedding.

Ashfaq Ahmed, the owner of one such oil manufacturing unit, stated that the oil he produces is exported to all parts of the country and is thought to be exclusive to Bhakkar district. “There is no other oil that can compare to karna oil,” he claimed.

He said that in an age where the practice of oiling one’s hair is decreasing, the demand for karna oil is increasing. Many use the oil to maintain hair health and to ward off unwanted scalp conditions such as dandruff, he said.

Residents of Bhakkar claimed that using the oil restores the sheen to their hair and also protects against hairfall. They claimed that the karna flower is the district’s signature flower. The oil produced from it is chock full of nutrients which are beneficial for the user’s hair, they added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2019.