From healing cells to forest produce

Behind the row of stalls selling forest produce and value-added products made by the Kani tribespeople at Agasthyotsavam, a tribal cultural festival, at VJT Hall here, a pot with 66 Ayurvedic herbs bubbles furiously. Its mouth is covered with mud and a small pipe from it leads to a wooden cupboard with a bamboo floor. This cupboard is where a person can get a traditional steam bath. Some 15-20 minutes inside the steam-filled cupboard is said to be effective for blood purification and a remedy for rheumatism, asthma, diabetes, jaundice, and allergies.

P. Appukuttan Kani Vaidyan of Elanchiyam, Palode, started learning how to use herbs and plants to cure illnesses at the age of 10 from his grandfather Kochummani Vaidyan. Of Kochummani Vaidyan’s four children, only one, Pachan Kani, Appukuttan’s father, carried forward the traditional healing knowledge of the Kani tribespeople. Today, however, Appukuttan’s four sons and two daughters work with him. Registered with KIRTADS, Appukuttan is sent by the government for such fetes across the country to promote traditional healing through various teatments such as clothbag (‘Kizhi’) and stroking.

Many stalls

A number of tribal organisations and societies are displaying their products at Agasthyotsavam. A number of stalls such as those of Ilanji Kudumbasree unit, Uravu from Kottoor, and one from Amboori have forest produce on sale. These include tamarind, pepper, honey, jackfruits, vegetables, turmeric, mangoes, Karinkathali bananas, reed products, brooms, pineapple, tapioca, Karinchembu stem, herbal oils, dry ginger, and so on.

A stall of the Vanamithra group from Karakkamthode sells value-added products from jackfruit such as chips, ‘varatti,’ mixture, murukku, cutlets, payasam, and even dessert. The Triveni Kudumbasree unit from Vithura sells paper bags. There is also a woman traditional healer Lakshmikutti who uses plants such as Nenmeni Vaka and Neela amari in her treament.A stall of the Attappady cooperative farming society has organic honey, cardamom, turmeric, coffee, cloves, pepper, tea, dry ginger. tamarind and ‘green’ coffee.

The exhibition will be on till June 8. The festival will see different tribal art forms such as Chaattu pattu, Chavalakaliyattom, Chonam Kali, Malapulayayattam, and seminars being held in a bid to familiarise the city residents with tribal art, culture, and food.