Bhumka

A Bhumka is a traditional herbal healer in the valley of Patalkot, India. Consisting of around 2000 individuals, dispered between 12 villages and 13 hamlets, the valley is mainly home to members of the Bharia and Gond tribes. Tribespeople traditionally perform herbal practices to cure illnesses and other ailments, under the auspices of a herbal expert and holy man known as a Bhumka. The indigenous knowledge of herbs, and their healing properties has been investigated and scientfically documentmented by firms such as Abhumka Herbal Pvt Ltd [http://www.abhumka.com] . The name of the company Abhumka is basically derived from Bhumka. The company has extensively worked among the Bhumkas and documented their herbal practices under the supervision of Dr Deepak Acharya. Bhumka's herbal healing knowledge is age old and it has been passed from generation to generations. [Need of a Platform for Traditional Healers and Their Knowledge, American Chronicle: Sep19, 2007] Young generations from these tribal groups are now merely interested in knowing the secrets of medicinal plants. Dr Deepak Acharya says, "There is a need of the hour to document Bhumka's herbal knowledge and convert it into cheap, sustainable and eco-friendly products with the help of modern streams of sciences." His company Abhumka Herbal Pvt Ltd has already taken positive steps in this regards.

Links

My Hero Foundation: Saving Knowledge of a Secret Forest http://www.myhero.com/myhero/heroprint.asp?hero=D_Acharya_India_06

References