256  

6. CASE STUDIES

Case Study :1 – Marriage with Traditional practice

Meenatchi from Kannikannur area eloped with one boy from other community. In

olden days, the eloped girls will be punished by burning their body with hot iron rod. After

doing this, they will allow the girl to mingle with others or else they are not allowed to

mingle. But for Meenatchi they punished her with a fine of Rs.500 and arranged the marriage

with a boy named Vellankiri on 22.10.11 with the dowry of crowbar and one pot with hole,

for catching rats. After six months, again Meenatchi eloped with the previous boy. For this,

the Kollkarar (Leader) made the judgment as to burn with hot iron rod in the thigh portion but

was unwilling to show it to the investigator. Now Meenatchi is living with Vellankiri.

Plate :6.1 Marriage with crowbar and a pot with hole as dowry

257  

Case Study :2 – Cave as their Dowry

Valli (67 yrs) lived with her husband and her son in the cave of Beemankattu area. After his

son’s marriage she gave the cave as marriage gift for his son, left the cave and started living

in the hut near the cave. Her daughter in law Priya(19 yrs) is now living in the cave with her

husband and child. Many insects and snakes are coming inside of the cave. But they are not

worried about it. Now Priya is a member of self help group named ‘Sri Jothi Irular’, thereby

rotating money for her family expenses. Previously she found it very difficult to run the

family. Now with the help of SHG, she was able to obtain Rs.3000 as loan and started

rotating the amount for her expenses.

Plate: 6.2 Cave - Front and Inside view

258  

Case SStudy : 3 – Traditional Pracctice to reemove imppotential

Selvi (2

husband

(maruth

Gryllota

conceiv

Sakthi.

21yrs) from

d and Inlaw

huvatchi Pa

alpa african

ved after th

m Beemank

ws for her

arvatham) w

na (pullapoo

hree months

kattu area,

r inability t

who prescr

otchi) at 5’o

s. Now she

mentioned

to conceive

ribed the f

o clock in th

is happy w

d that she h

e a baby. S

following tr

he morning.

with two ch

had more p

She was ta

reatment i.

After takin

hildren nam

problems w

aken to a m

.e swallowi

ng treatment

mely Sarava

with her

midwife

ing live

t she got

anan and

Case S

Vijaya(

swallow

and del

S

Study : 4

(24 yrs) from

w the umbli

ivered a gir

Selvi with m

Plate :

– Traditi

m Poomala

ical cord of

rl baby. Her

maruthuva

: 6.3 Influe

onal Prac

ai nagar stat

f one of the

r sister in la

atchi Parvat

ence of Trad

ctice

ted that the

e new born

aw Gayathri

tham and h

ditional Pr

maruthuva

baby. Afte

i(16 yrs) did

her childre

ractices

atchi Rakku

er 4 months

d not attain

en

u( 70 yrs) m

s she got co

puberty at t

made her

onceived

the right

259  

time. Rakku suggested intake of sesame , palm candy and papaya which helped her in

attaining puberty shortly.

Case Study :5 – Self improvement by SHG

Poomari(46 yrs) form Mallapadi mentioned that her husband had left her at the age of 29 and

started living with an other lady. She has 3 children and her occupation is selling fire wood.

Now she is in Self Help Group and earning Rs.1000/month. During the evening time she

drinks alcohol with her children. In this area, after 6’o clock, the family members used to sit

together and consume alchohol and entertain themselves.

Case Study : 6 – Role of Self Help Group

Bandamma(28 yrs) is having four children and her husband left her without giving money for

their maintanence. Now she has become a member of “Byralingam” – Self Help Group at

Kodegere village. Now she is familiar with maintaining records, getting loans and repaying it,

17 women participated in this Self Help Group. In this SHG they are providing health care

and education to improve their nutritional status.

Table 6.1

Other cultural practices followed by them from the personal interview of

Maruthuvatchi( person who gives medicine)

Disorders/Disease Medicines

Maruthuvatchi Velayee from Javukku pallam

1 To reduce blood sugar lever and arthritis Sirukurijan leaf

(One leaf/day)

2 To reduce impotential of male/female Goose berry

3 To reduce over/irregular bleeding Keelanelli paste with goat milk

should be given in empty

stomach

Maruthuvatchi Rakku from Poomalai nagar

1 To get conceive Umblical of other new born

baby will be swallowed

2 To eliminate the wastage during delivery Raw Easan Roots will be

given

260  

3 For Easy delivery Cumin seeds, Asefoetida

paste- 2 balls will be given on

due date

Maruthuvatchi Parvatham from Beemankattu

1. To reduce Piles 1.Tortoise flesh will be roasted

with sesame seeds and given

2.Tortoise shell will be roasted

in direct flame and the fumes

will be focused on the piles

area.

3.Snail flesh will be eaten

Maruthuvatchi Kunapoovathy from Kollapalli

1 As soon as the baby born Castor oil with palm Jaggery

paste will be given to remove

the wastage swallowed by the

baby during delivery.

2 Ninth day of delivery Garlic skin, onion skin, neem

leaves, ettathalai, avunjal &

nitichithalai are put together in

water and make the woman to

get bath in the water

4 To regularize the Menstruation period Plumbago zeylanica Linn

(Chithramoolaver) – Grind the

root and swallow the paste in

empty stomach.

5 To remove the blood clot in eyeball Justica tranquevariensis

(Thavasi murungai) – add salt

with this extract and apply it

on the eyeball

6 To increase the immunity power Solanum americanum

(manathakkali) – remove the

seeds by bounding and rinsed

with water, use it for preparing

261  

sambhar.

7 To increase the immunity power Celosia argentea(pannaikeerai)

– Prepare gravy by adding

dhal

8 To reduce white discharge Enicostema littorale (vellaruki)

– Make a paste and swallow it.

9 To reduce boils Amoora

canarana(Amukkalamkilangu)

– smear castor oil on the

surface of the leaves, heat it

gently and place it on the boil.

10 To reduce the Ear pain Ocimum Basilicum Linn –

(Thiruneer pathirikai) extract

will be used.

11 For insect bite Adothoda vasica

(Aadumuttanthalai)- Grind it

and swallow the paste or chew

12 To reduce cold and improve immunity Ocimum tenuiflorum

(Thulasi) – chew it/swallow

the extract.

13 To reduce ulcer in the Mouth( Chielosis), Sore throat Jatropha Curcas Linn (Kattu

Amanakku) – Make the

powder and use it for brushing

the teeth.

14 Consume to control hunger when food become scarce

in the forest

Cissus Quadrangularis(Kalli

Mulliyan)

262  

SOME OF THE HERBS USED BY TRIBES

Plumbago zeylanica Linn Justica tranquevariensis Solanum americanum

Celosia argentea Enicostema littorale Amoora canarana

Ocimum Basilicum Linn. Adothoda vasica Ocimum tenuiflorum

Cissus Quadrangularis. Jatropha Curcas Linn.

Plate: 6.4 Traditional Herbs