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Cure, the Irula way
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The ability of the Irula community to identify various medicinal plants and prepare cures for ailments was highlighted at an exhibition
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Pic by S. Thanthoni
TRIBAL REMEDIES...medicinal plants on display. Pic by S. Thanthoni
SOME REFER to them as skilled snake hunters, while some think they are just another dying tribal community. However, not many are aware of the Irula community's ability to identify various medicinal plants and prepare cures for several ailments.
At a recently conducted exhibition, `Irula and their medicinal plants for a healthy life,' organised by Nature Quest at Book Point Auditorium, over 60 medicinal plants with their botanical names and the diseases they can cure were displayed. Courtesy: Members of Irula Tribal Women's Welfare Society (ITWWS), an NGO primarily started with an aim of empowering the women of the community.
"This exhibition is all about making right use of the available knowledge," says Krishnan, project director, ITWWS. The organisation was started in 1986 to ensure that the Irula tribe made a living using its knowledge. While the men are natural snake hunters (and some of them are even given a licence by the Irula Tribe Snake Catching Co-operative Society), women try and create remedies for ailments, including snakebites.Over 300 species of plants, including those displayed at the exhibition, are cultivated at the sprawling ITWWS premises. "This way, we make sure that the plants are used for the right purpose," says Krishnan. Nature Quest had invited Botany students from all city colleges to benefit from the exhibition. The students keenly took notes on every species that was displayed. Also, a slide show was organised followed by a documentary on the Irula community. Produced by Krishnan, the film focussed on the lifestyle, faiths and beliefs of the community and brought to light their struggle to keep their culture intact in spite of urbanisation and deforestation.
PRASSANA SRINIVASAN
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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