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WORLD ANTHROPOLOGICAL UNION

CONGRESS 2024​

Paper

Indigenous Ethno-Medicinal Healing Practices Among The Paudi Bhuiyan Community of Deogarh District, Odisha

presenters

    Joyeeta Singha

    Nationality: India

    Residence: India

    Gangadhar Meher University, Sambalpur, Odisha, India

    Presence:Online

A particular culture or society's indigenous knowledge is unique to itself. The Paudi Bhuiyan is one of the PVTGs of Odisha bordering regions of Deogarh, Sundergarh and Keonjhar districts of Odisha. The study of traditional healthcare practices used by different ethnic groups and Indigenous peoples is known as ethnomedicine. The indigenous medical system places special emphasis on understanding ailments caused by supernatural forces, witchcraft, and religious beliefs, in addition to emphasizing professionals such as shamans and folk healers. Most of the indigenous knowledge is inherited by the community from their ancestors and is transmitted down the generations. It relates to a group of people's enduring customs, beliefs, and behaviours. This paper tries to highlight the knowledge of traditional medicinal practices of the Bhuiyan community and focuses on their expertise and application of knowledge in health care practices. The methods of healing used by those specialists are based on their understanding of the condition of the individual and social and psychological context.

Keywords:

Knowledge, Ethnomedicine, Witchcraft, Healer, Beliefs