Unveiling the past
People are now realising that the solutions to many modern problems lie buried somewhere in our traditional sciences
A dying craft
The technique of producing iron from low-grade ore used by the Agarias was environmentally sound. But the community is marginalised today, and …
Protecting the nation's patents
V K GUPTA , director, National Institute of Science Communication (NISCOM), tells VIBHA VARSHNEY how they set about building the Traditional …
Chinese ritual - Homage online
Chinese government departments have devised a rather strange solution to the problem of congestion and traffic jams. They have requested mourners …
The saas-bahu cereal
Aparna Pallavi took 20 years to understand Vidarbha’s culinary character. It lies in the staple
Leguminous affair
Boiled, roasted or deep fried... explore the many culinary delights of fresh pigeon peas
The rebirth of ancient wisdom
The role of dais, traditional Indian midwives, is being reevaluated as modern medicine finds their lore ideally suited to Indian conditions
Mud housing is the key
Mud's low cost and malleability makes it an ideal building material. But its use can be popularised only if such drawbacks as its …
The spirit of the sanctuary
Sacred groves - tracts of virgin forests - are vestiges of an ancient practice in which people protected a forest to avoid the wrath of its …
The other course
Traditional curative systems like ayurveda, homoeopathy, acupuncture... are being revived as alternative medicine. But in India and the Orient, …
Book review: HIV/AIDS and Traditional Medicine
Indian systems of medicine could receive a big boost if they could yield a cure for just one major disease. And, theoretically, there can be a …
Bitters for starters
A typical Bengali meal is eaten course by course. Kaushik Das Gupta shows how the tradition helps refine taste buds
Rolling back the architect
Durganand Balsavar’s designs incorporate community demands even at the cost of violating architectural principles
A thousand utility leaf
Sudeshna Saha shares benefits and recipes of a herb, sometimes used as an ornamental plant
Exploring the similarities in human action
EXPALANATION AND UNDERSTANDING IN THE HUMAN SCIENCE Gurpreet Mahajan Publisher: Oxford University Press Price: Rs 150
Losing the edge
As the world increasingly resorts to natural, plant-derived cures for illnesses, the wealth of India's traditional medicinal systems lies …
Going back to the past for a better future
The Tarun Bharat Sangh is helping drought-hit villagers of Alwar district of Rajasthan grow crops by reviving a traditional system of dam …
Common sense about common salt
In earlier times, a mixture of salt, herbs and spices or a simple dose of salt by itself was considered a prime cure for a range of illnesses.
Patent fears
Scientists in Karnataka are forced by the administration to abandon efforts towards documenting the biodiversity knowledge of indigenous people
"Ayurveda has no lobby"
David Frawley, director, American Institute of Vedic Studies, New Mexico, USA spoke to Vibha Varshney about ayurveda in the US
Poor man's saffron
Loaded with immunity-boosting properties,parijaat flower is used in various delicacies during the onset of winter
Unravelling science for the lay person
NCSTC-Network, a voluntary organisation, links and helps smaller organisations working to demystify science for the masses and dispelling blind …
Checking population growth through the ages
The concept of family planning control dates back to the ancient Greeks. Though many scientific advances have been made in the field since then, …
Technology gives traditional water-mills a lift
The gharat, a water wheel used for centuries by the Himalayan people, has now been modified so that it can empower several machines simultaneously.…
Beyond 'intelligence'
BEYOND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: TOWARDS TRADITIONAL RESOURCE RIGHTS FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES· Darrell A Posey and Graham …