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WORLD ANTHROPOLOGICAL UNION

CONGRESS 2024​

Paper

The Ethno-Medical Practices among Baiga and Kol tribes of Sidhi District ,Madhya Pradesh, India

presenters

    NIKITA DAS

    Nationality: India

    Residence: Madhya Pradesh

    Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, India

    Presence:Online

Introduction: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Ethno-medicine is “the sum total of the knowledge, skills and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health, as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement, or treatment of physical and mental illnesses, which may rely exclusively on past experience or observation handed down from generation to generation, verbally or in writing”. These indigenous medicines are used in the indigenous health care systems which are based on traditional cultural norms, beliefs and perspectives. The indigenous knowledge is transmitted by one generation to other. Objective: To understand the ethno-medical practices among the Baiga and Kol tribe of Sidhi District, Madhya Pradesh, India Methods: The present study is carried out among the Baiga and Kol tribes inhabiting in Sidhi District, Madhya Pradesh, India. For this study, qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Result: The present study found several medicinal plants used for various diseases. Around 60 medicinal plants were found to be the most common and easily available to cure many common diseases. Most ethno-medicines are made using all the parts of the medicinal plants. The roots, stems, barks, leaves, flowers, and fruits of various plants are used to make different concoctions by putting them in different amounts. Mostly plants are available in hilly or isolated geography. Conclusion: The ethno-medicines which are playing a major role among the Baiga and Kol communities seek immediate attention since the practitioners are mostly the older generation and not many youngsters are ready to carry forward the tradition.

Keywords:

Ethno-Medical, Practices, Baiga Tribe, Kol tribe, Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh and India