A SIMPLE question by President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam six months ago has lead City-based Pyramid Research Centre’s Dr Sudhir Khetawat to grow possibly the largest leaf in the world using the technique of concentrating solar energy with a glass pyramid.
Dr Khetawat had met President Kalam in July this year with the world’s smallest rosebud when the latter asked him if a flower or a leaf could grow extraordinarily big with the same technique.
That set the ball rolling. Dr Khetawat, who has been using this technique for the last 10 years, told reporters here on Monday that he planted two saplings of Alocasia plant simultaneously, with one of them having a glass pyramid over it. Within six months, the results were there for all to see.
The plant, which was grown naturally, rose to its normal height of four feet approximately while the one that was grown under the pyramid rose to a staggering 12 feet. In fact, the leaves of this Alocasia grew so large that it had to be given bamboo support to prevent it from bending and breaking due to weight.
Dr Khetawat said it was believed that a leaf named ‘Victoria Amazonica’, a water lily, was the world’s biggest leaf, which grows to a height of six to eight feet. Hence, he claims this to be the biggest leaf in the world, though no official agency has endorsed the claim.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Khetawat said it was believed that a leaf named ‘Victoria Amazonica’, a water lily, was the world’s biggest leaf, which grows to a height of six to eight feet. Hence, he claims this to be the biggest leaf in the world, though no official agency has endorsed the claim.
{{/usCountry}}“The aim of this experiment is to create awareness and develop faith among masses about pyramid therapy. For any therapy like this, having faith in the system is very important and I believe, when people see if a leaf can grow this much, they would have faith that the technique would help humans too,” Dr Khetawat said.
“The electromagnetic rays affect the growth hormones. What I am using is a simple scientific fact. Sunrays get concentrated at the peak of the pyramid. So anything coming below it would definitely benefit the most,” he said, adding, “This helps in increasing immunity.”