Rajib Ratan Kashyap 1, Jayanta Saikia 2
1 PGT Faculty, Department of Zoology, Gossaigaon Science Academy, Kokrajhar, BTR, Assam, India
Corresponding author: Jayanta Saikia, E-mail: saikiajayanta94@gmail.com
2 Teaching Assistant, Department of Assamese, Gurucharan University, Silchar, Assam, India
Issue: Vol. 2 No. 3 (September 2026) – Anubodhan
Received: 30 June 2026 / Accepted: 11 July 2026 / Published online: 28 September 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n3.2026.116
Abstract
Khar is a traditional alkaline extract central to Assamese cuisine, medicine, and sericulture, historically serving as a salt substitute and cultural identity marker reflected in the phrase “Khar khuwa Asomiya”. This ethnographic and analytical study examined traditional preparation techniques, source diversity, and applications of khar across 15 villages in Nalbari, Bajali, Bongaigaon, and Kokrajhar districts of Lower Assam. Simple random sampling documented 11 natural sources, including Musa spp., Eichhornia crassipes, Carica papaya, etc., and cow urine, yielding variants such as Dokhla Khar and Jo’-Khar Khar. pH analysis of field-collected samples showed marked alkalinity, with stored Khar ranging from pH 9.5–11.5 and freshly prepared Khar from pH 7.7–9.5, confirming traditional claims of increased potency upon storage. Khar’s roles as a natural antacid, febrifuge, preservative, and silk degumming agent highlight its ethnomedicinal, nutritional, and eco-friendly industrial significance.
Keywords: Khar, Assamese community, Jo’-Khar Poti, ethnomedicine, culinary heritage.
How to cite: Kashyap, R. R., & Saikia, J. (2026). Khar: The Indigenous Alkaline Heritage of Assam. Anubodhan, 2(3), 233–240. https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n3.2026.116