August 2010


A Turning Point

Medicinal Plants Conservation was the focus issue of Amruth magazine when it was launched in 1994. Team Amruth revisits the archived volumes and brings out the contemporary relevance of the issues covered by the magazine unique in its own way, and the societal impact those issues have had over the years.

lifestyle
A time to retreive Asia's lost wealth of life

The exact number of plants mentioned in Ayurvedic literature is not known. But the three great works of Ayurveda: Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita and Ashtanga Hrdaya mention between them 1,900 plant names, referring to around 600 distinct species or four percent of the total number of species of folk use.


Down the Memory Lane

A compilation of a few of the issues that Amruth touched and made its impact.

  • The Big Sleep (Editorial, Amruth Issue 6, August 1995)
  • Project Medplan Conservation Launched in South India


Ankola's Miracle Workers

The term "paralysis" strikes fear in most hearts and is a serious concern amongst the medical fraternity. But in Belambar (Ankola), a family of traditional practitioners sees it as just another disease whose cure can be found in the plant kingdom. Bommu Shivu Ganaga Gowda, winner of the FRLHT outstanding Folk Practitioner Award of 1995, is a member of the famous Gowda family known for their special "Ankola treatment" for paralysis.

 

  

food for your eyes
The Irula Mystery

Started in 1968, the Irula Tribal Women's Welfare Society (ITWWS) is located at Thandarai, a small village about 60 km. from Madras city. The society is involved in an afforestation pilot project which is sponsored by various organizations, involving the help of the local tribal community the Irulas.


Beliefs and Myths

Myths surrounding trees and plants have always served a conservation purpose in India.In Hinduism, there is a saying that "All plants are created from the hair of Brahma, the Creator".Certain plants with medicinal properties have had a prominent place in Hindu mythology and are highly revered in Hindu epics and the Vedas.

 


Medicinal Plant Conservation:Number does matter

A proper conservation strategy needs to consider different factors responsible for the decline of the population. Population size is a very important factor, which appears to have received little attention so far .



Drive Away Your Doubts

Get answers to your health related queries straight from our renowned Vaidya
GG Gangadharan, Joint Director at FRLHT, Bangalore.

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