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Indian Journal of TraditionaI KnowledgeVol. 4(2), April 2005, pp. 173-178

A sustainable use of phytodiversity by the Kandha tribe of Orissa

Tribhubana Panda', Srikanta K Panigrahi ' and Rabindra N Padhl*IKalahandi Institute for Tribology & Ethnobiology, Jilingdar, Deydar 766 014, District KaIahandi, Orissa

2Directorate of Environment, Planning Commission, Room No. 317, Yojana Bhawan, Parliament Street, New Delhi 110 001

3Department of Botany, Government Autonomous College, Bhawanipatna 766 001, KaIahandi, Orissa

E-mail: kite_kld@yahoo.co.in

Received J J February 2004; revised 25 October 2004

The plants used by the Kandha tribe in the Mantriguda valley, surrounded by seven hills are described here. For thehousing purpose, tribaIs use nine different species of plants. They cultivate thirteen plant species of millets, pulses, oil seedsand paddy and collect wild edible fruits, tubers, leaves, roots, mushrooms and youngling shoots of bamboo, to supplementtheir diet. They use thirteen plant species for making agricultural implements and home appliances. The tribaIs collect onlydry plant parts for their fuel wood, irrespective of the plant species, without cutting them. A few plants like neem, banyan,Peepal, sacred basil, mango etc. are worshipped by them. For medicines, these tribals fully depend on the indigenous floraand fauna.

Keywards: Tribals, Kandha TribaIs, Traditional knowledge, Phytodiversity, Kalahandi, Orissa, Ethnomedicine,Ethnobotany

IPC Int. C17: A61K35178; A61Pl/00; A61Pl/04; A61Pl1l2; A61PlI12; A61PlI16; A61P3/00; A61Pl1104; A61P15/04;A61P17/02; A61P19/02; A61P29/02; A61P33/06

Kalahandi district is one of the tribal diversifiedregions in India with as many as 46 different types oftribal communities. As per 1991 census, the tribalpopulation of the region was 3,26,648, whichconstitutes 28.8% of the total population of thedistrict. The common and numerically importanttribes are Kandha, Gond, Bhunjia, Banjara, Munda,Paroja, Bhatoda, Binjhal, Sabar, Saura and Mirdha.These 11 tribes together constitute 97% of the totaltribal populations of the district. These tribal peoplecan basically be categorised under a sect, which hasacclimatized itself to the ecosystem prevailing around,since time immemorial and are evolved with a way oflife style harmonious with the nature.

Traditional ethnobotanical uses of phytodiversity inBhagarathi valley' and similar uses by tribals ofAravalli hills of Rajasthan also recently reported'. Thepresent report gives the information on sustainableuse of Kandha tribe and the phytodiversity, whichhighlights tribal dependency on forest as theirresource base.

Study AreaThe present study area is confined to a small, most

neglected hamlet Mantriguda of Kandripadar village

*Corresponding author

under Mundraguda Panchyat of Junagarh block inKalahandi district of Orissa, India (Fig. 1). It issituated at the top of the Mantriguda hill (82°45' to83°15' East langitude and 19°35' to 19°50' Northlatitude) and at an altitude of about 700 msl, on theNorth of eastern ghat range with an approach of aghat road of 1.5 km. There were 13 households with apopulation of 58 in October 2001.

MethodologyThe hamlet was frequently visited for a period of

six months. After familiarising with the inhabitants,preliminary information about the requirements ofdifferent plant species for different purposes likehousing, food, medicine etc. were obtained bywatching their daily activities .. Information aboutethnobotany, agriculture, conservation of forest wascollected with the help of a questionnaire. 35 tribalsof age group between 15-60 years were asked ingroups and all were given equal opportunity toexpress their views. The information was recordedascertaining further by repeated visits and interviews.

ObservationsExcept for a few commodities like salt and cloth,

the tribals fully depend on the surrounding forest

174 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 4, No.2, APRIL 2005

(Fig. 2) within seven hills around the hamlet for theirlivelihood. The natural resources (Figs 3-9) in andaround the village along with the cultivated plants areenough to maintain their livelihood. The local namesof these hills are Malipada, Kudipale mali, Budharaja,Tarajhula, Gumadonger, Podejharan and Matighati.They use one side of each hill as their resourcecatchment. The resources are utilised in various waysfor the functioning of the hamlet. These are asfollows:

HousingThe houses are made of boles, bamboos, thatch

grass and some tying ropes (Fig. 10). For boles theyuse nine different species of plants viz. Karla(Cleistanthus collinus Benth, & Hook.f.), Sargi(Shorea robusta Gaertn.), Sahaj (Terminalia alataHeyne ex Roth), Sina (Lagerstroemia parvifloraRoxb.), Tangen (Xylia xylocarpa Taub.), Kekad(Garuga pinnata Roxb.), Sale (Boswellia serataRoxb.), Munde (Mitragyna parvifolia Korth.) andSimal (Bombax ceiba Linn.). The first five species ofboles are the standard ideal species, which were usedformerly. But with the speedy denudation anddeforestation by the outsiders, these species of trees

are out of their reach. Eventually, they dependentirely on the other species, though they are of lowand inferior grade in terms of durability. The wallsand roof frames are made up of seasoned bamboo(Dendrocalamus strictus Nees), thatching withgrasses such as Sinkhar (Pennisetum purpureumSchum.) and Dabkhar (lmperata cylindrical Beauv.),the tying materials are made up of ropes of Siali(Bauhinia vahlii Wight & Am.) and Atua plants. Attimes they use bamboo fibre for tying the thatches.

FoodFor food, Kandha tribes cultivate mainly l3 plants

species of millets, pulses, oil seeds and paddy. Theseare Mandia (Eleusine coracana Gaertn.), Koshla(Panicum vulgare), Kangoo (Panicum sumatrenseSchult.) Gurji (Setaria italica Beauv. Hook.f. in part),Janha (Zea mays Linn.), Khedjanha (Sorghumvulgare Pers.), Kandul (Cajanus cajan Millsp.),Jhunga (Vigna unguiculata Walp.), Kating (Bambusaarundinacea Willd.), Sorso (Brassica campestrisHook.f. & Thoms.), Jada (Ricinus communis Linn.),Biri (Vigna mungo, Hepper), brinjal (Solanummelongena Linn.) and Kaker (Cucumis sativus Linn.).Food gathering is one of the oldest practices of their

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PANDA et a/: SUSTAINABLE USE OF PHYTODIVERSITY BY THE KANDHA TRIBE OF ORISSA 175

Fig. 2- Mixed deciduous forest of North Eastern Ghats.

A Ghat road approaching Mantriguda.

Fig. 4- Sahaj (Terminalia alata Heyne ex Roth)

Fig. 3- Amba (Mangifera indica Linn.)

Fig. 5- Palas (Butea monosperma Kuntze)

176 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL. 4, No.2, APRIL 2005

Fig. 6- Sale (Boswellia serrata Roxb.)

Fig.9 - Maize (Zea mays Linn.) cultivation

Fig. 10- House of a tribe and a Storage material made up of bamboo

Fig. 7- Kendu (Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb.)

Fig. 8- Karada (Cleistanthus collin us

Benth. & Hook. F.)

PANDA et al.: SUSTAINABLE USE OF PHYTODIVERSITY BY THE KANDHA TRIBE OF ORISSA 177

livelihood. They collect edible fruits, tubers, leaf,roots, mushrooms, youngling shoots and sprouts ofbamboo etc., which supplement the diet of the people.

The edible fruits are mango (Mangifera indicaLinn.), jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.),custard-apple (Annona squamosa Linn.), Bela, (Aeglemarmelos Correa ex Roxb.), Char (Buchananialanzan Spreng.), Kendu (Dyospyros melanoxylonRoxb.), aonla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.), Dumer(Ficus glome rata Roxb.), Sinkhajur (Pennisetumpurpureum Schum.), Banbhalia (Semicarpusanacardium Linn. 0, Jammu (Syzygium cuminiiSkeels), tamarind (Tamarindus indica Linn.), BurotZiziphus mauritiana Lam.), Kantai (Z nummularaWight & Arn.), etc. For tuber foods they collectPitakanda (Dioscorea foetida), Barhakanda(Dioscorea bulbifera Linn.), Vatkanda (Dioscoriabelophylla Voigt.), etc. They collect the leaves ofdifferent wild plant species like Muti, Bhader, Kuler(Bauhinia spp.), Chakunda (Cassia tora Linn.) etc. forpreparation of curry. Occasionally, they used tochance upon Barha (Suss crofa cristatus), Sambar(Cervus unicolor), Kutra (Muntiacus muntijack),Jhinka (Hystrix indica), mouse (Rattus rattus) , Khara(Lepus nigricicollis), Bankukuda (Gallus gulles),Panka (Stereptipella chinensis), Majur (Pavocristatus) and kill them for their food.

Tools and implementsThe tribals use about 13 different types of plant

species for making agricultural implements and 10different plant species for house hold appliances, likeSisoo (Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.), Bandhan tOugeiniaoojeinensisn Hochr.), Mahul (Madhuca indicaJ.F.Gmel.), Dhaura (Anogeissus latifolia Wall. exBedd.), Kusuma (Schleichera oleosa Oken.), Sargi(Shorea robusta Gaertn.f.), Sahaj (Terminalia alataHeyne ex Roth.), Khair (Acacia catechu willd.),bamboo, Haland (Haldinia cordifolia Ridsdale),Bherua (Chloroxylon swietiana DC.) etc. Similarly,they also use about 7 types of plant and animalspecies for making the self protection and huntinginstruments such as bamboo, feather of peacock, atissue of Sambar and Tussar cocoon (Bombyx mori)for making arrows. Thus, along with plant parts, thetribal people also use animal body parts.

Fuel WoodThey collect dried plant parts except of a few plants

prohibited on religious ground, such as Neem(Azadirachta indica A. Juss.), Peepal (Ficus religiosa

Linn.), banyan (Ficus benghalensis Linn.), sacredbasil (Ocimum sanctum Linn.) etc. They do notintentionally fell plants for firewood.

Sacred plantsA number of plant species are worshipped by the

tribals, particularly during socio-religious functionsand are protected by them exhibiting conservation ofbiodiversity through cultural commitments. Theseplants are Bela (Aegle marmelos), neem (Azadirachtaindica), mahul (Madhuca indica), Jamu(yzygium.cumunii Linn.), Peepal (Ficus religiosa),banyan (Ficus benghalensis), mango (Mangiferaindica), Jhair (Ficus virens), Ankul (Alangiumsalirifolium Wang), Kusum (Schleichera oleosaOken), Tamarind (Tamarindus indica Linn.) andBanhaldi (Curcuma aromatica Salisb.) etc.

MedicineThe tribals fully depend upon the plants and

animals for curing their ailments. The whole plant orplant parts, such as leaf, bark, fruits and roots are usedas medicine. They have their own traditional way ofhealth care involving use of locally available plantspecies such as:

Kendu (Dyospyros melanoxylon Roxb.), Sunari(Cassia fistula Linn.) and pomegranate (Punicagranatum Linn.) for dysentery; Keo kanda (Costusspeciosus Sm.), castor (Ricinus communius Linn.) andChil (Accacia tortilis Hayne) for head ache; Mahakalfruits (Trichosanthes tricuspidata Lour.) for earache;Harida (Terminalia chebula C.B. Clarke in part),Sorso (Brassica campestris Hook. F. & Thoms. ) andpig fat for cold & cough; Batimal, mango (Mangiferaindica Linn.), Bela (Aegle marmelos Correa ex Roxb.)

. for gastric disorder; peacock feather for vomiting;Hada bhanga (Cissus quandrangularis Linn.) forbone fracture; Ban kadali (Musa oranta Roxb.),Satabari (Asparagus racemosus Willd.), Tiger(Panthera tigris) moustache for evil eye; Apamrityu(Achyranthes aspera Linn.) root for easy delivery;Neem (Azadirachta indica) for skin disease; Bhuinim(Andrographis paniculata wall. Ex. Nees) for worminfection, skin disease, and fever; Ganga siuli(Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Linn.) for malaria; Mutha(Cyperus rotundus Linn.) for diarrhoea; Ban karla(Momordica charantia Linn.) for fever; Menjati(Lawsonia inermis Linn.) for jaundice and Lahalangli(Gloriosa superba Linn.) for abortion.

increasing population pressure, growing urbanizationactivity and fragmentation of the natural forest, thesurroundings of the isolated tribal groups do not havethat much of diverse flora and fauna left for providinga simple and comfortable livelihood. Kandha tribe issustainable interdependence with the nature.

The present study on ethnobotanical knowledge ofthe tribals would help in wider dissemination of thisknowledge for long-term conservation of asustainable livelihood for the tribes. At the end, it maybe noted that the plant species reported herein, usedfor housing purposes, like Sahaj (Terminalia alataHeyne ex Roth.), Kekad (Caruga pinnata Roxb.),Sale (Boswellia serrata Roxb.), Munde (Mitragynaparviflora Korth.) and Simal (Bombax ceiba Linn.)are newly reported ones.

178 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 4, No.2, APRIL 2005

DiscussionThe tribals use specific plants for specific purposes

and do not use the quality timber trees like Sisoo, Bija(Pterocarpus marsupiam Roxb.) and Sal for thehousing purpose. Their economic activities are truereflection of the relationship of their culture with theecosystem. Their quality of life is intimately linked tothe productivity and diversity of the living organismin their own surroundings. Conservation ofbiodiversity in and around the village would helpsustainable development giving emphasis to theindigenous knowledge within the people.' andbiodiversity plays important role in functioning of thevillage ecosystem", in the district Kalahandi also.Without interference of the elite people for timber andrelated forest products this tribe is stable and has asustainable interdependence with the nature. Livingclose to the nature they have acquired enoughknowledge about indigenous flora and fauna as wellas utilisation and management of the phytodiversitythat surrounds them for sustainable socio-economicdevelopment. The sustainable development involvesdeveloping a 'socio-economic-ecologic' system thatensures a non-decline condition of getting the desiredobjectives for future.', They identify themselves as apart of the nature-forest. Their socio-culturalactivities, housing, food and medicinal practicesreflect the interdependency and harmony with thebiodiversity of the surrounding. Unfortunately, due to

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