A taste of mountains
Jakhiya seeds are used for tempering almost all types of vegetables and curries in the Garhwal region
Gandhamardan revisited
Fifteen years ago, BALCO made an abortive attempt to mine bauxite in one of India's richest biodiversity reserves, Gandhamardan in Orissa. Now …
"Forests are the main source of herbs"
Meghalaya's abundant flora is the basis of its traditional healthcare system. Now, rapid urbanisation and breakdown of the community structure …
Roadside remedy
A common plant growing in the wild in Garhwal, basingu is traded both as a medicinal herb and vegetable
Caught in the crossfire in Nepal
The Bankariyas, a forest-dweller community of central Nepal, have been uprooted from their traditional habitat and are living like refugees in …
Kashmir: a treasure of forest herbs
Many of these herbs have medicinal value and are used in the treatment of both common and serious ailments
Small sweet success
Farmers in the Western Ghats warm up to wonder fruit kokum after local organisations create a market for it
Drought made palatable
When rains fail, people dependent on forests can relish the strong-flavoured sarata bhaji and enjoy the added bonus of health benefits
Tulsi Fights Fluorosis
Fluoride levels in drinking water in 196 districts of 19 Indian states are much higher than the maximum concentration of 1.5 parts per million (…
Hypothetical cure
Unlike allopathic medicines, Ayurvedic products are not clinically tested before they are introduced in the market. This raises doubts about …
Win one, lose many
India needs to have a hard look at the sources of all its varied traditional knowledge and how to protect them
Peepal power
The Baiga tribe in Madhya Pradesh never misses the opportunity to savour the tender leaves of peepal
Intoxicatingly delicious
With increasing urbanisation and changing food habits, very few people are aware of the mahua fruit and its oil, let alone its health benefits
The eco tree
Many tribal communities consume semal because of its medicinal properties. Others worship the tree. A clan of the Bhil tribe in Rajasthan …
Fruity twist to grandma's tale
The country fig can pass off as any other wild fruit. Little can one guess it has a cluster of fibrous flowers inside, loaded with prebiotic …
A bushful of medicine
Seabuckthorn, a plant with numerous medicinal properties, grows wild in India. Rural communities are the losers
Herbs to heal cattle
In the absence of veterinary services, traditional medical practices for treating livestock remain popular in tribal villages
Blossoms with benefits
Heti flower adds variety to cooking when few options are available just before the harvest season in Maharashtra
Forestland benefits
Under the Lok Vaniki scheme, a farmer can extract benefits from his land by selling its produce, including timber
Paradise under fire
The beautiful Valley of Flowers, known for its flower diversity and fecundity, is caught in a strange controversy over ban on grazing
The secret gardens of Malabar
An English translation has been made exactly 300 years after the Hortus Malabricus was written, new, sinister designs seem to lurking behind it - …
COP15 Montreal: Tribals are sentinels of forest biodiversity, not destructors
From food to medicine, tribal knowledge has helped humans survive for thousands of years
Ensure ethical trade in wild plants, consumers urged
New report highlights how many wild plants used in everyday products are sourced without any consideration to supply sustainability
A fruit to treat diabetes
Elandha vada is a traditional nutritional snack that is fast disappearing from our food basket
A herb from Garhwal
Locals may not pay much attention to Bhilmoda because of its abundance, but the herb has many traditional medicinal properties